Baby You're Mine
by bishounen lovah
Summary: A Kaoru-Ganko pairing. After five years of being separated, Kaoru realizes that he loves Ganko. Unfortunately, someone wants to steal his hime away from him. R&R onegai! FIN
1. Chapter 1

**BISHLOV NOTES:**

[1] This is my first FoR fanfic.  Any wrong or misspelled terms are not of deliberate intent.  Let's just say I'm renewing my love for Flame of Recca that's why I'm no longer that familiar to the terms.

[2] OOC warning!  Some characters in this fic (like Kurei and Tokiya) may not act like they usual do in the anime series.  Just humor me, okay?

[3] I am not familiar with the age gap of Kaoru and Ganko.  But in this fic, Kaoru is two years older than Ganko.  Kaoru is a Junior while Ganko is a Freshman in High School.

[4] In this fic, Ganko's madougu attained more power and that Kondo has another madougu attached to him giving him other abilities.

DISCLAIMER:  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

BABY YOU'RE MINE

By bishounen lovah

Chapter One

"So how do you like school so far?"

"Okay, I guess."  Ganko smiled at her new friend Megumi.  Her first day back in school wasn't that bad although she couldn't help but feel relieved that their classes were finished for the day and that the guys that had been hitting on her could no longer be seen.

_It's nice to be back in __Tokyo_, Ganko thought jubilantly.  They (she and the Kirisawa family) left the place five years ago because Fuuko's dad got promoted.  So they packed their bags and moved to Hong Kong.

It broke her heart at first because it would mean leaving behind the rest of the Hokage gang but she couldn't do anything about it.  The Kirisawas are her new family now since they adopted her.  So wherever they go, she followed.  But it wasn't that bad because Fuuko-neechan was with her and the others often called and wrote.

All of them except for one.

Instantly, her face started to redden from anger with steam coming out of her ears.  An animated vein pumped madly on her forehead.  Ganko didn't notice that Megumi was sweatdropping beside her wondering if the blond girl was mental.

"Anou…are you okay?  Did I say something bad?"

Ganko sighed as she had somehow managed to control her anger.  She remembered that Yanagi-chan and Recca-kun were throwing a welcome home party for them this afternoon.  It meant that everybody will be there including that baka.  _I'll give Kaoru a big piece of my mind_, she thought with an evil grin making Megumi sweatdrop some more.

As they walked towards the school's gate, something caught Ganko's eyes and ears.  On their far right was a mob of screaming girls.

"What's going on over there," she asked Megumi while straining her neck to see what was causing the commotion.  When the other girl didn't answer, Ganko looked back at her and saw that Megumi's eyes were full of stars and her face was flushed with excitement.

She waved a hand in front of Megumi's face but it didn't bring her back to reality.  She sighed as she remembered 'neechan's advise on how to get someone's attention.  She didn't want to do this but Megumi left her no choice.

She took a deep breath and shouted in her friend's ear, "OI!  MEGUMI-CHAN!!!"

That got her attention all right because the girl actually fell to the ground at the impact of Ganko's shout.  "Itai!  What did you do that for?"  Megumi said.

Ganko grinned as she helped Megumi up.  "Well, I asked you a question and you just stood there with goo-goo eyes.  So are you going to tell me what's the commotion all about?"

"Kaoru Koganei!  That's what's going on.  He's the most popular and cutest guy in school.  Every girl is lusting over him."

As soon as Ganko heard his name, she started to see stars though not from admiration but from anger.  Ganko suddenly took Megumi's hand and dragged her towards the crowd.

Some of the girls saw them coming and moved aside to let them pass because Ganko's face was contorted from anger.  The other girls who didn't see them, or maybe did but didn't care, were pushed aside as Ganko made way towards the center of the crowd.

And sure enough, Kaoru stood there with his fanged grin flirting with the girls nearest him.  Ganko tapped him on the shoulder to make him turn around.  As soon as he did, his face met Ganko's fist.  It was quite difficult for her to throw the punch because he was at least a foot taller than her.  But that didn't stop her.  The other girls gasped as they saw their idol fall down from the impact.

"Yare yare.  What did you do that for?"  Kaoru looked up from the ground while rubbing his aching nose.  He saw that the punch came from a beautiful girl with long blond hair.  _Probably a new student_, he thought as he admired her starting from the foot up.  When his eyes met her eyes, a light bulb was switched on in his brain.

"Oi!  Ganko!  Long time no see!"  Kaoru said as he stood up.  As soon as he did she grabbed his cheeks and stretched them away from his skull.

"Don't you 'Oi Ganko' me!  You've got a lot of explaining to do," she said pulling his cheeks farther and farther to stress her words.  "I've been gone for five years and that's all you can say to me?"

Ganko was so angry that she didn't notice that the crowd was closing in them.  But Kaoru did.  The other girls were starting to get angry because the new girl not only punched the resident bishounen but she was also hogging all of his attention.  They were angry and jealous.  And no one, especially Kaoru, wanted to get stuck in such a mob.

Kaoru moved quickly and pulled Ganko's hands away from his face.  He cursed inwardly because it felt like pulling away a crab's pincher.  He grabbed Ganko by the waist and threw her over his shoulder and ran as though he was a football player going for a touchdown.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, KOGANEI?  PUT ME DOWN," Ganko shouted.

"Shut up!  Can't you see I'm saving your life?"  Kaoru said as he dashed towards the gate.  He looked back and saw that the girls were still chasing them.  Not only that, they were also starting to throw books and binders at Ganko.  One almost got her but fortunately Kaoru saw it coming and was able to jump away from it.

But that action hitched Ganko's already short uniform skirt up, showing part of her underwear.  Kaoru saw it and blushed furiously almost losing his balance.

"Hey, watch where you're going," Ganko said as she pushed against his back to take a good look at him.  She caught him taking an inconspicuous look at her buttocks and realized that her skirt must have hitched up.

"BAKA!  HENTAI!  PUT ME DOWN!"  She struggled waving her arms and kicking her feet, unaware that her actions were only making her skirt go up further.  Kaoru clamped his nose to stop it from bleeding.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he detoured in an alley, jumped on a large metal trash bin, and onto a balcony two stories up.  He placed Ganko down and pressed her against the wall, covering her body with his.  When she moved her mouth to shout at him, he placed his fingers over her lips to prevent her from doing so.  He looked down at the alley street waiting for the mob to run by, missing Ganko's blush.

As expected, the girls were still running after them and went through the alley.  _Thank goodness none of them looked up or else we'd be stuck up here with an angry mob below us_, he sighed.  When he was sure that his groupies were gone, he took a somewhat reluctant step away from Ganko and removed his more reluctant fingers from her lips.

When Ganko saw him give her his cheeky grin, the fog that had blocked her mind for the last two minutes cleared.  She felt her cheeks burn although she didn't know if it was from anger or something else.  When she couldn't stand his grin anymore, she raised her hand and slapped him really hard leaving behind a red handprint on his left cheek.

"Is that the thanks I get from saving you from that mob?"  Kaoru rubbed his stinging cheek, still not losing his fanged grin.

"Baaa-ka," Ganko muttered as she turned her back to him.  She grabbed the iron balustrade of the balcony and jumped over it.  She fell to the ground and landed on her feet gracefully.  She shot an icy glare up to Kaoru and started to walk away.

Kaoru forced his hanging jaw to close and laughed at himself.  _She didn't need me to save her after all_, he said to himself.  _Obviously, Fuuko taught her how to fight._

He shrugged off the awkward feeling when he thought those words.  He had always protected Ganko ever since Kurei brought her to his mansion.  He should be glad that she could take care of herself now.  She must have worked hard since Fuuko was a slave driver when it came to training.

He jumped off the balcony and followed her, careful to stay a few steps behind her.  He knew that she was mad at him because he didn't make any attempt to contact her while she was away.  He didn't blame her because that was a rotten thing to do.  But he didn't regret what he did.

He remembered those days.  Ganko was getting too dependent on him.  He didn't mind at first but then realized that he couldn't protect her all the time.  And danger would always come to them because both of them own psychic devices.  It wouldn't do her any good if she continued to rely on him and the others for protection.

He was pretty sure that Ganko was really mad at him for not writing or calling.  He hoped that she used that anger and frustration in training hard.  Now she won't need him anymore.

Kaoru frowned at that thought.  The awkward feeling nagged his heart again.

_Admit it_, a voice in his head said, _you don't really want her to be strong.  You loved being her superhero and you still do._

_Shut up_, he shouted to that inner voice.  _Of course I want her to be strong.  She shouldn't rely on me or anyone else to protect her._

_Aw, come on!  You want to protect her.  Admit it_, the voice teased.

_No.  I don't want to protect her when it's not necessary.  She should learn to fight for herself_, he insisted back.

_Then how come you're trailing her like you're some kind of bodyguard?_

_I'm not following her.  We're just going the same way.  Besides, 'niichan told me to pick her up._

_Yeah, right!_

Kaoru could actually hear the voice's sarcasm and smirk.  That and what the voice said made him stop.  He shook his head vigorously to get rid of that annoying voice and to get a hold of himself.  When he looked up again, he saw that Ganko had disappeared.  _Now where did she go? _ He thought as he looked left and right to find her.  When he realized what he was doing, he stopped himself.  _Ganko__ could take care of herself.  She doesn't need me any more._

He walked on to Recca's house knowing that he'll see her there.  But even though he was able to get rid of that annoying voice in his head, he wasn't able to get rid of that nagging feeling tugging at his heart.

He took the shortcut towards the house Recca and Kurei shared.  He smiled as he remembered those flame casters.  They haven't tried to kill each other since the Ura Butou Satsoujin although their petty family squabbles often led to a quick visit of the fire department to their house.

He jumped over a wooden fence and landed in a squat position.  He looked around the backyard and saw Fuuko and Tokiya making out on the bench.  They'd been going steady even before Fuuko and Ganko left the country five years ago.  They kept the relationship going even though Tokiya stayed here in Tokyo while Fuuko was in Hong Kong.  Sometimes Tokiya would go there to visit his girlfriend but most of the time they stay in touch through the phone or the Internet.

Kaoru grinned, tiptoed to the nearest tree between them and hid behind it.  He looked back at the couple and saw that they were no longer kissing.  Tokiya had an arm around Fuuko's shoulder.  He could barely see Fuuko's head because she had it buried against Tokiya's chest.

Kaoru got on all fours and crawled towards the back of the bench.  When he had reached them, he straightened in a kneeling position and took a deep breath so he could startle them.

"Don't even think about it," Tokiya said in a bored tone.

"PBBBLLTH," Kaoru stuck out his tongue at him.

"Oi, Kaoru!"  Fuuko turned around and reached out to pat his head like an obedient dog.  "How's it going?"

"Where's Ganko?"  Tokiya stood up and pulled Fuuko with him.  "Didn't I tell you to wait for her in school?"

"I did.  We left together," Kaoru's grin turned sheepish as he scratched his left cheek with his left forefinger.  "Demo…I kind of lost her."

"Yosha!  Pay up, Tokiya!"  Fuuko grabbed the money out of Tokiya's hand and counted it.  "I told you I'm a better teacher than you."

"What's going on?  You're betting on us now?"  Kaoru exclaimed indignantly.  Tokiya took him in after the tournament and acted as both brother and sensei to him.

"Some ninja you are," Tokiya huffed.  "You can't even keep track of a girl."

"Stop being a sore loser.  Come on," Fuuko grabbed Tokiya and Kaoru by their arms and dragged them inside.  "Let's take advantage of her absence."

Kaoru stared at her in question but before he could ask her what she meant they were already in the kitchen at the back of the house.  Yanagi and Kagerou were preparing snacks while Recca and Kurei were shouting at Domon to get up.

_Sounds like Domon is wrestling with someone…and losing to that someone_, Kaoru thought with a snicker.  He looked over the kitchen counter and down the tiled floor.  What he saw sent him burst in laughter.

"Kondo!"  Ganko's stuffed animal was pulverizing Domon.  He had Domon's foot in his hands and was twisting it counterclockwise.

"Come on!  Say it, you big wuss.  Say that you give up!"  Kondo shouted as he twisted the foot some more.

"In your dreams, stuffed bear!"  Domon shouted back although his fists were already pounding on the floor from pain.

"I'M NOT A BEAR!  Don't you know the difference between a bear and a fox?"  Kondo dropped his foot but ran over Domon's back to grab his Mohawk.  He was about to slam the baka's head to the floor but was lifted up by Fuuko.

"That's enough, Kondo.  We have things to do."

"Consider yourself lucky, gorilla," Kondo shouted at Domon as he was carried away towards the living room.

Kurei and Tokiya followed behind.  Recca helped Domon up and went to the other room too.  Yanagi and Kagerou drafted Kaoru's help to carry the tray of food.

"So what is this all about?"  Recca asked Fuuko when everyone was seated.

"Its Ganko," Fuuko sighed, "something's wrong with her."

Kaoru felt his heart stop beating for a nanosecond.  What was Fuuko talking about?  Ganko looked fine to him when he saw her.  Although she did look tired but he thought it was because it was her first day in school.

"She's been having this nightmare for a month now.  Every single night, the same nightmare.  And when she wakes up, we find bruises on her body as though someone's holding her down and beating her up.  I'm worried about her.  She's starting to grow quiet and moody.  She's losing weight because she refuses to eat and sleep," Fuuko explained in a frustrated tone.

"What is her dream about?"  Kagerou asked.

"It fades once she wakes up.  All that she remembers is a man's voice.  She said that he keeps demanding her to give his psychic device back."

Everybody looked at Kurei after Fuuko spoke.  They knew that it was him who gave Ganko her madougu.

"That psychic device once belonged to a man named Tsukiho.  You've met him once," Kurei said, enjoying the suspense.

"I don't recall meeting someone called Tsukiho, 'niichan," Recca said after a while as the others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Ah, perhaps you don't recall because he was under another psychic device then.  He entered the Ura Butou Satsoujin as Noroi.  At least his body did."

"Noroi?  You mean the guy with that helmet who tried to make a mush out of Domon's pea brain?"  Kaoru exclaimed.  He ducked when Domon threw a throw pillow at him (B/N: no pun intended).

"Hai!  The body that the Spellbound was using then was Tsukiho's.  That's why I got hold of the Kata Kugutsu.  He was the only one I know who used it aside from Ganko," Kurei explained as he took a sip of his tea.

"If he's dead how come he wants Ganko's madougu back?"  Fuuko asked.

"Probably because he wants to live again," Tokiya guessed.  "Ganko's psychic device can give life to any object.  He's probably thinking of placing his spirit in a mannequin brought to life by the Kata Kugutsu."

"Is that possible?"  Yanagi asked Kurei.

"Anything is possible," he shrugged back.

"Hey, what am I?  Chopped liver?  _I_ have the device so why doesn't he possess _me_?  That way he won't have to hurt Ganko," Kondo exclaimed.

"Who would want to get stuck in a stuffed bear," Domon snorted.

"Why you…I told you I'm a fox not a bear!"  Kondo jumped on the coffee table and poised to jump on Domon but stopped when the Kata Kugutsu flashed bright red.

The orb on his neck started to glow brighter and brighter.  His black button eyes turned to a dazzling shade of red.  A second later, an intense light akin to a lightning flashed in the room forcing the people to close their eyes.  When they opened them, Kondo had already disappeared.

"What happened," Kaoru exclaimed.  He didn't like this.  His heart was beating hard and fast against his ribcage as though warning him that something ominous was about to happen.

"Ganko summoned him," Fuuko quickly stood up and ran to the door.  "She must be in trouble.  Kaoru…"

He didn't let her finish.  He ran out of the door and dashed towards the street where he last saw Ganko.  _Wait for me_, he said as though trying to send it telepathically.  _I'll save you, Ganko._

~Rewind~

Ganko sneaked a peek out the store window.  She was furious at Kaoru not only because of her initial reason.  She was furious at him because the hentai took a peek at her knickers.

But most of all, she was furious at him because he had the gall to think that she needed him to protect her.

It didn't help a bit when he started to follow her like a puppy.  She was too furious and too embarrassed.  And too confused.

She wanted to get away from him.  She got her chance when he suddenly stopped walking and vigorously shook his head.  Ganko thought this odd but nevertheless ran towards the nearest shop and hid behind the shelves.

Ganko sighed when Kaoru left after he looked around for her.  She thought he was going to track her down.  She watched his receding figure until she couldn't see him anymore.  _He looks cute_, she had to admit.  _Not as cute as Tokiya-niichan but definitely bishounen material.  No wonder girls are after him._

She remembered when Kaoru had placed his fingers on her lips a few minutes ago.  It was such an intimate contact that she couldn't help but blush.  No one had ever kissed her lips before, least of all, touched them.  Electricity had coursed throughout her body making it difficult to breathe and move.

_Baka_, she reprimanded herself,_ what the heck are you thinking?  Kaoru is nothing to you but an annoying big brother._

She forced herself to think of something else and instantly what came to her mind were the girls at school.  They were really crazy about Kaoru.  She was really shocked when they started to throw things at her.  _How am I gonna go back to school tomorrow_, she sighed as she browsed at the cosmetics lined up in front of her.

It wasn't what the other girls thought about her that worried her.  After all, Fuuko was her mentor.  It was what they were going to do to her that did.

She didn't have the stamina and concentration to dodge their attacks no matter how puny or silly they will be.  She was too weak and too distracted.

Ganko came face to face with her reflection.  She knew that she was losing weight.  She was slim before but now she was bone thin.  Her skin lost its healthy glow and the hollows of her eyes and cheeks became more pronounced.  Dark bags under her eyes and her lips were starting to lose color.  All of these were hidden under a thin makeup expertly placed on by Fuuko-neechan.

The bell at the door sounded.  Thinking it was Kaoru, she peeked again at the door.  No it wasn't him.  It was worse.  About half a dozen girls from the mob had walked in the store.  _This really isn't my day_, she sighed as she looked around for an escape route.

Fortunately, the shop owner left the counter to greet the new customers.  Ganko took this chance and dashed towards the back door beside the counter.  This led her to the storage room that had an adjoining door leading to an alley.

She closed the door behind her and leaned against it.  She stayed like that for a few minutes to calm herself.  When she saw the group of girls leave the shop and cross the street she began walking out of the alley.

Ganko stopped when she heard someone call out her name.  She looked around and saw that the alley was empty.  She shrugged thinking it was her imagination but then she heard her name again.

"Who's there," she said reaching in her skirt pocket for her kunai.  "Show yourself."

"Don't you remember me, Ganko?"the voice called out again.__

She felt the blood leave her face.  That voice was the reason why she was back in Tokyo.  That voice was the reason why she was sick.  She poised to attack, her kunai in between her fingers.  "Where are you?  What do you want from me?"

"You know what I want from you."

Ganko stiffened.  The voice was coming from somewhere to her right.  She was about to move but felt him toy with her hair.  She couldn't see him…couldn't see anyone.  But still a lock of her hair was twirling in mid air.

"Give me back my Kata Kugutsu and I'll spare you."

That brought her back to life.

"Never," she hissed before jumping back and throwing her darts to the source of the voice.

To her dismay, her kunai stopped and just floated in mid air.

"If you're not going to give it to me then I have no other choice but to kill you."

The darts turned around and pointed towards Ganko.  She was so shocked that she never got a chance to move.  Six kunai flew towards her and pierced into her flesh embedding at various parts of her body.  She fell back at the impact and was beginning to lose consciousness.

"Kondo," she whispered before totally backing out.

"She's still alive.  She must die."  Tsukiho observed.

Invisible hands started to move towards her neck poising to strangle the girl.  But before he could touch her he heard a growl coming from behind him.

A large fox with shiny red fur was gnarling at him.  Even though he was invisible, Tsukiho knew that the fox could sense him.  The angry fox took a step forward and he took a step back.  It growled some more showing numerous sharp teeth.

_What's a fox doing in the city_, Tsukiho thought in slight panic as he stared at its blood red eyes.  He abhorred dogs of any kind when he was still alive and he still did even if he's dead.  It was then that he noticed the Kata Kugutsu on the beast's neck.  Kondo advanced again.

_This may pose a problem_, Tsukiho thought.  _I have to rethink my plans.  We'll meet again, Ganko._

Kondo sniffed the air.  The enemy was gone.  He quickly went to Ganko's unconscious form and licked her face to wake her up.    The new madougu clamped on his left ear like a wide earring allowed him to turn into a real fox, among other things.  Unfortunately, this psychic device that Fuuko gave him did not allow him to talk.

This was how Kaoru found them.  He thought that it was the dog that attacked Ganko and was now going to eat her up.  He picked up an empty can and threw it at the dog.

"HEY!  WATCH IT, KOGANEI," Kondo transformed back into his original cuddly form (well, rude but cuddly nonetheless).  He had a bandage on his forehead where the can had hit him.

"Kondo!  What the…" Kaoru was shocked.  He didn't know that the stuffed toy could transform.  Come to think of it, he didn't know that Ganko could summon Kondo.

"Don't just stand there, gaki.  Help me with Ganko."

Kaoru snapped back to reality and ran towards Ganko.  What he saw made his stomach churn in sudden pain.  There was now a puddle of blood around the girl flowing from her multiple wounds.

He quickly removed the darts and pressed his hands on the wounds but that left four more.  Kondo climbed over Ganko's body and used his paws to add pressure on the other wounds to stop blood flow.

"Ganko!"  Fuuko reached their side.  She softly slapped the girl's face in an attempt to wake her up.

"Recca's coming with Yanagi," Tokiya said, pocketing his hand phone.  He took out his handkerchief and wrapped it tightly around Ganko's thigh to stop the blood from flowing out.

He used his Ensui to cut his jacket to strips.  One by one, they covered the rest of her wounds on her shoulder, arms and leg.

_Kuso_, Kaoru cursed inwardly.  _When I find that Tsukiho I'll kill him again and again even if he's a ghost.__  What he did to Ganko was unforgivable._

"Put some more pressure on it," Tokiya ordered Kaoru.  The last dart had punctured exactly in the middle of Ganko's chest.  He didn't know if it had hit her heart or arteries but he was sure that they were going to lose her if Yanagi didn't arrive soon.

As soon a he thought that, a black convertible screeched to a halt at the street.  Recca and Yanagi ran towards them while Kurei and Domon stayed at the mouth of the alley, blocking the scene from outsiders.

Yanagi quickly healed Ganko although she had to cut herself to give her blood to the girl.  Minutes later, Recca was helping Yanagi to get in the back of the car.  He then held the door open for Kaoru who had Ganko in his arms.  When they got in, Recca closed the door and climbed in the front passenger seat beside Kurei.  The others agreed to walk back to the house.

Recca looked back at the other passengers.  Yanagi fell asleep out of exhaustion in using her powers.  Ganko hadn't gain consciousness yet.  But it was Kaoru who caught his eyes.

He still had Ganko in his arms and on his lap.  He had refused to let her go, saying that it would be easier to get out as such.  His arms around her were tight yet gentle as though enclosing her in a protective circle.  Recca could see Kaoru's eyes even though his face was averted towards the girl's face.  His eyes were flared from anger and were screaming bloody murder.

"Mind your own business, Recca."  Kurei quietly said to his brother even though he knew that Kaoru wouldn't hear him in a normal volume.

Recca shrugged back but couldn't help but smile.

"Looks like the brat's finally in love," he whispered back, taking one last look at the boy.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

BISHLOV NOTES:

[1] Sorry for the long wait.  I got busy with my other fics, among other things.  Thanks for all of those who reviewed chapter one.  You guys are the greatest!

[2] I'd like to clarify that this is based on the anime.  The time setting is five years after UBS.  There are no SODOM and Tendou Jigoku/heaven and hell madougu.

[3] I found out that Kaoru is actually four years older than Ganko.  Serves me right for not doing my research first.  However, I am still going to use the two years age gap that I mentioned in the previous chapter so that they will still be together in high school.  Please don't hold this decision against me.

[4] Thanks to Lynn Untsukushii, I now know that Fuuko's darts (which Ganko also uses in this story) are actually called gimlets or kunais.  I think I'm going to use kunais since they sound much cooler.

DISCLAIMER:  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

BABY YOU'RE MINE 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 2

Kaoru fidgeted on his seat, trying to find a comfortable position.  It was a few minutes past midnight and not a sound could be heard in the big house.  Well, none except for Recca's loud snore.

Several hours had already passed since Tsukiho attacked Ganko.  They brought her to Kurei and Recca's house since it was the closest and settled her in one of the guest rooms.  The others had left for their own homes after a couple of hours, leaving only the owners of the house, Kagerou and Kaoru.

He had refused to leave Ganko's side so the others left him be.  He had expected the others to tease him about his protectiveness towards the girl but none came.  All of them were serious about what happened to Ganko.  The memory of almost losing her had stopped them from making any silly antics.

_Almost lost her_, Kaoru's mind kept on repeating those words, sending chills down his spine.

He glanced at Ganko's sleeping form on the bed in front of him to make sure that she really was alive and breathing.  The moonlight was pouring from the window, illuminating her with an ethereal glow.  He could now see clearly the effects of Tsukiho's nightly taunting.  Her face was white with deathly pallor while the dark rings around her eyes stood out against her skin.  And she was so thin.  He had not noticed it yesterday but Ganko was unhealthily thin.

Wind coming from the open window cleansed the air inside the room.  Kaoru noticed that it had stirred some of her golden locks and landed on her face.  He stood up and moved to sit beside her on the bed.  Gently, so as not to wake her, he brushed the hair away from her face and tucked the strands behind her ear.  Laying a hand on the side of her face, he pondered on the new feelings that were still surging throughout his body.

He didn't know what came over him.  Never in his life had he lost his cool.  Not once when he fought in the UBS.  Not even when Kurei admitted that he manipulated him into joining Uruha.

But earlier he was so furious at what Tsukiho did to Ganko that he couldn't think straight.  He wanted to hurt him but since he couldn't it made him restless.  And Ganko not waking up made him even more so.

Kaoru could still see red whenever he looked at his hands.  They were clean now but he could still see her blood staining them.  Could feel her warm blood flowing out despite his efforts to stop it.

He calmed down reasonably as the time passed.  Kagerou-sama and Yanagi-neechan were able to convince him that the Kata Kugutsu wielder was all right and out of danger.  They told him that the reason why she was not waking up was due to the weeks of not being able to sleep.  Her mind and body were exhausted and in need of rest.

His heart ached at how miserable she looked.  Even now, her brows were furrowed and her mouth grimacing.  Kaoru knew that she was having another one of her nightmares.  He quickly took her hand in his then smoothed the frown from her face with his other hand.

"Hush now, Ganko.  I won't let him hurt you," he whispered near her ear.

A single tear escaped her closed eyelids and slipped down the side of her face, disappearing among her blond tresses.  He reached over again to wipe the wet path the tear had left with his thumb.  He knew she heard him for her face lost the frown and her body started to relax.

_I thought you said you didn't want to be her bodyguard_, the voice inside his head started to nag him again.

_Shut up_, he growled back.  _No one hurts my Ganko and gets away with it._

Your Ganko? 

Our Ganko!  She's part of the Hokage family and we protect each other.

Your Ganko? 

Kaoru furiously shook his head to get rid of that annoying voice.  This was no time to indulge an argument with his subconscious.  He must think of a way to stop that ghost from further threatening Ganko.

A big yawn escaped his lips.  His anger had finally drained all the energy in him.  He sat down on the floor beside the bed and laid his head on the mattress.

"Don't worry.  We'll find a way," he whispered to her again.  After making sure that her hand was warmly secure in his, he fell into a deep slumber.

~*~

A couple of hours before dawn, a pair of blue eyes slowly opened and took in her surroundings.  Ganko passively looked around the unfamiliar room before finally settling her eyes on the sleeping figure near her.

There was no doubt that the mop of brown hair belonged to Kaoru.  She leaned towards him a bit so she could peer on his face.  He was sleeping soundly with his lips slightly open.

She thought it odd that he was sleeping on the floor of her room.  Come to think of it, this was not her bedroom.  This was much bigger than hers in the apartment she and Fuuko-neechan were renting.

Where was she anyway?

A light gust of wind from the open window caught her attention.  The warm wind stirred some of the light strands of her hair.  It had also stirred the memory of her most recent ordeal.

It reminded her when that voice taunted her at the alley.  When he toyed with her hair, showing her that he could touch her whereas she could not even see him.

She closed her eyes and recalled what had happened.  It was the first time that voice attempted to hurt her when she was awake.  He was around only in her dreams.  There he tormented her and hurt her but now she was not even going to be safe when awake.

And he had almost killed her.  She saw in her mind's eyes her own kunai flying towards her, felt how they pierced and embedded in her flesh.  The last thing she had remembered was calling out Kondo's name.

Kondo…Kata Kugutsu…Who is he… Why does he want it…Why is he doing this to me? 

Questions she could not find answers to rampaged her mind.  Weary tears flooded her eyes.  She felt so tired…tired of wondering who her tormentor was…tired of thinking of ways to make him stop…tired of carrying this burden all alone.

She tried to raise her left hand in order to dry the tears that were falling freely down her face but couldn't.  She tugged and tugged but her hand wouldn't budge.  Finally looking at her side to see what had pinned her hand down, she came face to face with a wide-awake Kaoru.  She stared at his eyes, mesmerized at the deep, chocolate brown color.

She watched him as he reached over to brush her tears away with one hand.

"Daijoubu," he said as he continued to gently dry her face with his fingers.  "You're safe now."

Confused at his actions, she looked down.  What she saw confused her even more.  The reason why she couldn't move her hand was because he had it in his.

Ganko blushed at this, momentarily forgetting about her problems.  She was not used to Kaoru's gentle behavior.  She had not known that Kaoru was capable of such a behavior.  The Kaoru she had known was cheeky and full of mischief.  She was sure that he had never shown this side of him to anyone, well maybe except to Yanagi-neechan.  It was no secret that he adored the older girl.

But why was he this kind to her?

Pity.

Of course…pity!

It was the only reason she could think of.  She was such a pathetic little creature who could do nothing else but cry her eyes out.  After all of these years, she was still a crybaby…a spoiled brat who couldn't defend herself.  Among all of the Hokage members, she was the weakest.  Defeated by her weaknesses.  Too stupid to think of a good attack…too slow to dodge her own kunai.

Angry with herself, she pulled her hand from his and impatiently brushed his fingers from her face.  She quickly lied on her side, her back facing him.

"I want to be alone.  Please leave," her voice wavered from all of the emotions stored up in her.

Kaoru opened his mouth to protest but stopped when she spoke up again.

"Onegai," she whispered.

He stared at her back doubtfully.  He knew that it was not wise to leave Ganko alone right now but could do nothing about it.  A couple of minutes later, he stood up.  It may not be wise but he didn't want to further upset the girl.  He dragged the blanket over her shoulder, making sure that it was securely tucked before walking out of the room.

"I'll be right outside if you need me," he said after throwing one last worried look at her direction.

Ganko stiffened at his words and actions.  Did he have to rub his pity in?  She wa not a child anymore.  She could take care of herself.

Fresh tears appeared as soon as the thought formed.  She was such a hypocrite because if she could take care of herself she wouldn't be here in the first place.  She wouldn't be this thin and this weak.  All of those years of hard training were put to waste.

_Oh would you stop whining already_, her subconscious scolded her.  _You did not want Kaoru to pity you but here you are wallowing up in self-pity._

Her tears abated after that.  Fuuko-neechan did not bring her up and trained her to be a crybaby.  She was not weak.  She could be strong.  She would be strong.  She'd show everyone, especially Kaoru, that she didn't need anyone to protect her.

She quietly stood up and searched for the rest of her clothes.  She pulled on her skirt under the large shirt she was wearing (probably Recca's) then bent over for her shoes.  After dressing up, she moved towards the open window and climbed out, jumping towards a nearby tree branch.  She looked back inside the room, waiting for the Kougan Anki wielder to barge in.  When he didn't come, she jumped down the tree landing softly on her feet.

She knew of a deserted place in Tokyo where she could train.  Walking away from the large house, she hoped that it was still deserted after all of these years.

So caught up in her thoughts, she was unaware of a pair of dark, brooding eyes watching her retreating figure from somewhere inside the house.

~One week later~

Ganko yawned more out of boredom than weariness.  It had been a week since Tsukiho attacked her and since then he had not bothered her whether she was asleep or awake.

But she didn't let her guard down.  Every night she would sneak out of her room and would go to an abandoned factory in order to train.  She would not go back until shortly before daybreak.  Nobody knew what she did except for Kondo who accompanied her and trained with her.

The first morning she did that, Fuuko had been so worried because she was not able to return well after breakfast.  She gave her and Kaoru a big piece of her mind.  Fuuko shouted at Ganko out of worry while Kaoru got the reprimand because he was supposed to look after her.  Ganko didn't know about Kaoru but her ears rang the whole day.  She almost had a hard time hearing the story behind the Kata Kugutsu and its previous owner.

Now that she knew who he was and why he wanted the madougu, she trained harder out of sheer desperation.

How the hell can I defeat a ghost? 

She had asked the question to the others but none had an answer.  They said that they would find a way but Ganko knew that only she would have the answer.  She had to talk to this Tsukiho again and perhaps reason with him although she knew it would not work.  All she could do now was wait for him to come to her again and keep Kondo safe until that time comes.

Ganko yawned again, this time a much bigger one.  She eyed the group of girls hanging all over Kaoru with something akin to disgust.  It was like this everyday.  She couldn't go anywhere without him and he couldn't go anywhere without his diehard groupies.

Tokiya-niichan assigned Kaoru as her bodyguard.  At first she had protested vehemently.  She did not need a bodyguard, especially a cheeky one.  She even dragged Kaoru to the discussion expecting him to protest too but then he didn't.  He accepted his new responsibility without so much a word.  He started following her around like a puppy from the word _go_.

Ganko thought his behavior weird.  He was not a lazy person but he did not like extra work especially if it involved her.  For the past five years she did everything to make him write to her or call her.  But she guessed he was too busy with his newfound hobby…flirting with ditzy girls.

_Iie__.__  Not all of them are bimbos.  But most of them are, particularly these ones_, she corrected herself as she watched the girls hang onto Kaoru's words.  She noticed that these were the same girls who were diligent enough to follow him all throughout the day.

She couldn't blame the girls for falling for Kaoru.  She found out that he grew to be a charming young man.  So charming in fact she always got these nausea attacks.  But still if you add charm with good looks it would definitely sum up to a group of frantic, fanatic girls.

Most of his fan club members had forgiven her when she explained that Kaoru was nothing but a childhood friend.  But some could not easily forget how she acted towards the bishounen on her first day of school.

And then there was this 'bodyguard' issue.  It did not escape the girls' attention the way Kaoru followed her around in school.  Every time someone asked about it she would say to that person to ask Kaoru.  And when asked, Kaoru just shrugged then left to follow Ganko.

Sometimes it irritated her the way his eyes would focus at the back of her head for such a long time.  And there were times when she would catch him staring at her with a weird look on his face.

But much as she hated to admit it, she had gotten used to having him around.  Sometimes she would miss having him shadow her movement and she always felt safe whenever he was around.  That was why she was waiting for him to finish his bishounen duty right now so they could go home together.

"Anou, Ganko…"

Ganko turned to look at Megumi.

"…Did you think that I looked stupid like them that first day?"

Ganko smiled at her new friend kindly.  Now that Megumi had actually spent some quality time with Kaoru by hanging out with Ganko, she wasn't that star struck with his looks anymore.  These past few days, Ganko had actually caught the two bickering the same way she bickered with him though not as physical.

"No, not really.  I might have acted the same way if it had been someone else other than Kaoru," Ganko consoled Megumi.

The other girl sighed in relief before looking at Ganko curiously.  "You know what?  I can't remember Kaoru-sempai having any friends.  He hangs out alone whenever there are no girls around.  You're the first one he acknowledged as his friend.  When and where did you meet?"

Ganko sweatdropped as she thought of an excuse.  She didn't think Megumi would believe her that they were members of Uruha Junior, naïve hired assassins of Kurei Mori.  "Anou…Kaoru and I were orphans…"

"You mean, you met each other at the orphanage?"  Megumi jumped to a conclusion.

"You could say that," Ganko took the easy way out.  It was kind of the truth because Koran Mori did adopt them.  The Uruha Mansion filled with lethal traps and dangerous madougu wielders wasn't exactly an orphanage but it would do.  "Kaoru was always the one who would play with me and keep me company.  You could say that he was the brother I never had."

"I see.  So you think of him only as your brother?  That could pose as a problem."

"What do you mean?"  Ganko asked in confusion, question marks hanging on top of her head.

"Well, I may be mistaken, but I think Kaoru likes you."

"Of course he likes me.  I'm his friend."

"Iya.  Not that kind of like.  I meant like-like.  You know… the feeling that eventually leads to love."

The question marks changed into exclamation points.

"NANI?!  Are you mental or something?  Whatever gave you that idea?"  Ganko yelled back, her face visibly turning red.

"Sometimes, whenever he thinks no one is looking, he would look at you in a certain way."

"I'm sure it's just your imagination, Megumi," Ganko replied although a part of her wished it wasn't.

"Iie.  It's not.  I can tell because his eyes changes color whenever he would look at you.  Even his voice changes when he talks to you.  It becomes…softer.  And then he follows you around.  I'm pretty sure if he can follow you in the girl's room, he would do so.  Plus he glares at every guy who would come within a ten-mile radius of where you are.  Haven't you wondered why there are no boys who would talk to you nowadays whereas they were all over you on your first day here?"  Megumi pointed out her observations, ticking off her fingers at the same time.

Ganko turned redder and redder as Megumi spoke.  She had a point.  It had been a long while since a guy had hit on her but she didn't think any of it.  She thought they just lost interest in her and didn't mind one bit.

_Could it be true?  Was Kaoru really interested in her_, she thought seriously.  But then Yanagi's face came into her mind and jealousy in her heart.  _No.  He only likes Yanagi-neehan and no one else._

"Ahahahahaha," Ganko let out forced laugh.  "You almost had me there, Megumi.  Kaoru can't like me.  He likes someone else.  Besides, he thinks of me as a little sister who can't protect herself.  That's why he's following me around."

"Did he ever tell you that?" Megumi asked, unconvinced.

"Iya.  He doesn't have to tell me.  I know him very well.  The only things that he feels for me are protectiveness and annoyance."

Ganko briskly stood up from the bench they were sitting on and cast a last look at Kaoru and his groupies.  "If ever Kaoru can disentangle himself from those ditz before you go home, could you tell him that I got tired of waiting for him?  Thanks."

She left so suddenly, she did not get a chance to see Megumi's knowing smile.

~*~

"Now where the heck did she go?"  Kaoru stopped for a while and looked around him.  Ganko had a knack of disappearing whenever his head was turned.  One minute she was talking to Megumi, the next one she vanished into thin air.

_Damn those girls_, he thought.  For the first time in his life, he did not appreciate his admirers' attention.  But he knew that they should not be blamed.  It was his fault he lost sight of Ganko.  He was just simply getting tired of them hanging onto him like a bunch of leeches.

Damn it, Ganko.  You knew you weren't supposed to leave without me.  How am I supposed to protect you when you keep on disappearing like that?

He jumped onto the fire escape on the side of a tall building and climbed towards the roof.  There he scanned the surrounding area.  Anxiety gnawed his stomach.  He won't be able to forgive himself if something happened to her again.  He had let his guard down and now she had managed to elude him again.

He had been hurt that first morning when Ganko told him to leave her alone.  He had wanted to protect her but she refused his help.  But that did not stop him.  He had never let her out of his sight, not even when she sneaked out of Recca and Kurei's house to train in a deserted factory.  Every night he would watch her train with Kondo but would stay out of their way.  He didn't want her to know he was there because he knew she would not like it.

And he had to admit that she was darn good at what she did.  Her Puppet Converter had attained greater powers, making Kondo more useful than he was before.  And when combined with her new madougu, the Puppet Animator that was actually its twin psychic device, it made Kondo a dangerous force to be reckoned with (B/N: Sorry if you think that the new madougu's name sucked and not original.  Can't think of a good one.)

A head full of blond hair caught his eye, startling him out of his thoughts.  Ganko was two blocs away from where he was and was rounding another corner.  Kaoru immediately jumped from one roof to another and tried to catch up with her.  He followed her to the alley where Tsukiho attacked her.

Kaoru stayed on the roof of the store beside it and just watched Ganko silently.  He looked on as she bent over to touch the blood stained ground.  'Niichan tried to clean it with his Ensui but was not able to thoroughly erase it.  He could actually feel the pain Ganko was going through right now.  She received a big blow on her pride when she was injured by her own kunai.

Movements coming from the entrance of the alley caught his eye.  He recognized the group of boys from their school not only because of the uniform but also because they were the guys who kept on trying to come near Ganko.  He did not like the idea of guys hitting on her.  It was his duty to protect her not only from Tsukiho but also from jerks like these.

Kaoru held his anger in check for he knew Ganko would lash at him if she found out he was spying on her.  Besides, she could handle these jerks with one hand behind her back.  So he watched as the group walked towards her, blocking the entrance of the alley as much as they can.  She was already facing them, an innocent questioning look on her face.

"Nakajima-sempai, what are you doing here?" Ganko asked, still not getting what the guys were up to.

"Nothing really.  We just want to get to know you better.  That monkey who always hangs around you always got in our way," Nakajima dropped his beefy arm around Ganko's shoulder.  He was getting too fresh for comfort.

_Nani__!  How dare him call me a monkey_, Kaoru fumed.  He was sorely tempted to jump off the roof and knock the guy's teeth off but was stopped by Ganko's shout.

"He's not a monkey!  How dare you call him that?!"  Ganko shrugged off his arm and walked towards the entrance but the other guys blocked her way.  "Let me through, Nakajima."

"You can't leave so soon.  We were just starting to have fun."  He nodded his head to his companions and they started to close in on her.

"I'm warning you.  Leave me alone," she hissed.

"We have a feisty one here, boys," Nakajima hooted.  "What're you gonna do?  I bet a puny girl like you can't hurt a rabbit, let alone men like us."

_Uh-oh.__  Did he just call her puny?_  Kaoru frowned.  Much as he hated the guy, he felt sorry for him because of what was about to happen to him.  If there's anything Ganko hated, it was belittling her and her capabilities.

Sure enough, with a blink of an eye, the _puny girl_ throttled the four _men_ to the ground.  Kaoru rubbed his eyes with a finger for he wasn't sure how she did it.  But still the proofs of her rage were squirming on the ground, moaning loudly.  He sweatdropped as he watched her walk out of the alley, acting as though nothing had happened.

He made a mental note to not ever use the word _puny_ when she was around.

From the corner of his eyes, Kaoru saw that Nakajima was starting to get up.  He was holding a small knife with the clear intention of following and hurting Ganko.  Kaoru's vision turned red from fury.  He jumped off the roof and dashed towards the guy, stepping on some of his buddies along the way.  He grabbed Nakajima by his shirt and slammed him against the wall.  The knife he was holding instantly dropped to the ground.

"Don't you ever try to hurt her again!"  Kaoru slammed the guy's body again and again before lifting him up, his toes dangling a few inches above the ground.  "And if I ever find out that you and your pathetic friends so much as looked at my Ganko, I will personally make sure that you won't be able to see pretty much anything for a couple months time.  Do you understand?"

"H-hai," Nakajima squeaked.

Kaoru placed the guy back on his feet but threw a mean punch on his stomach.  Nakajima crumbled to the ground and was knocked unconscious.  The Kougan Anki wielder glared at the rest of the boys and frightened them into action.  They quickly grabbed their leader and dragged him out of the alley.

The angry haze clouding Kaoru's mind slowly cleared.  He blinked a couple of times and drew in several cleansing breaths.

_What the heck came over me?  I lost my cool again._  Kaoru stared hard at the wall.

Ganko! 

He rushed out of the alley and looked around the street.

Damn!  Now where did she go this time? 

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

**BISHLOV'S WORDS OF GRATITUDE AND OTHERS:**

**icy_natsu85:**  Here's chapter 3.  Sorry for the long wait.  I got busy with my other fics plus all of my juices are starting to run dry.  Thanks for reviewing and I hope you'll like this chapter too.

**JadOo****:**  I love Kaoru's behavior too ^_^0.  I am such a sucker for idiotic men who are unaware that they are already in love.  As far as I know the English name for Kata Kugutsu is Puppet Converter.  That's why I named Kondo's other madougu Puppet Animator.  You know, sort of like Paper Animator.  If you still think I gave the wrong name please tell me so I can bring out my dictionary and find a more apt one.  Actually I already did that but I accidentally threw out my copy ^_^0.

**just**** a visitor:**  Thank for, uh, visiting.  Thanks for your compliments.  My head's already getting bigger.  Kaoru and Ganko is my favorite FoR pair (next to Tokiya and Fuuko that is).

**Rika:**  Sorry if I didn't update quick enough for you.  But, hey!  I'm ba-ack!!!

**Jac'Kee****:**  I hope that you'll find this chapter better than the last one although I'm not promising anything since I'm only gonna make this in less than four hours.  Plus I hate to sound ignorant but…what's a masamune ^_^0?

**Lafine****:**  Thanks for reviewing.  As I said earlier, I'm sorry if I didn't update sooner.  You know what they say…better late than never.

**kitsuneboy****:**  I'm writing, I'm writing.  Geez.  You guys pressure me too much.  I don't mind though.  It means that you like my fic and for that I am eternally grateful.  KAORU AND GANKO FOREVER!!!

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

BABY YOU'RE MINE 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 3

Kaoru yawned widely as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.  He had deprived himself of a decent sleep for far too long now.  For seven days straight, he had been watching over Ganko night and day.  The girl obviously was obsessed with training and refused to sleep even for just an hour.

He frowned at that.  She was no insomniac but was just very frightened of having nightmares again.  He knew that she could not go on like this…going to school at daytime and training with Kondo at nighttime.  Soon, her body would give up on her because of exhaustion and stress.

It also didn't help that she had no appetite at all.  Yanagi-neechan and Kagerou-sama had cooked every tempting dish they knew (and then some) but still Ganko just ate a dozen bites at most.  Sometimes, he would buy lots of food from the cafeteria during lunch and would dump them on her lap.  Then he would sit across her and glare at her.  That tactic usually worked.  She would eat a sandwich just to appease him (or keep his mouth shut).

Unfortunately, Kaoru didn't know how long he could keep that up.  He felt like he was developing a migraine every time he would scowl at her the entire lunch period.

The point was he could not bear to see her falling apart like this.  Many times had he wanted to beat some sense in her but then he would realize that what he really wanted was to pull her in his embrace and comfort her.

Just like before.

But things have changed between them now.  They had grown apart since they last saw each other five years ago.  That probably was his fault.  Ganko was no longer open to him because he had closed up on her by not keeping in touch when she moved away.

She had grown independent just as he had planned.  But he now found out that it wasn't what he wanted.  She was _too_ independent to the point of being stubborn.  She refused to ask for help or share her fears.  These were what worried the gang.  Even Fuuko had not been this stubborn ever.

Kaoru watched with slitted eyes as Ganko attacked a dummy with her fists and legs.  He felt sorry for the thing because its padded body was being disintegrated into bits.  He had watched her do so every night as a conclusion to her training.  On one corner of the building was a pile of wooden limbs, torsos and heads…remnants of her previous trainings.

She leapt high in the air and gave a turnabout kick, sending the dummy's head clear across the floor.  She stared at it for a while, panting from exertion.  When her breathing more or less returned to normal, she moved to fetch the head.  Kaoru quickly and quietly abandoned his hiding place for a much better vantage point.

His new position gave him a better view of Ganko.  He watched her move slowly and gracefully.  Watched how her hips swayed from side to side, hypnotizing him with her movements.  The moonlight pouring from the window at the opposite side of the building formed a natural spotlight on her.  The image that she projected was breathtakingly beautiful, almost ethereal, even though her hair and clothes were a mess from training.

Speaking of clothes, just as his heartbeat was returning to a normal pace, Ganko chose that moment to remove her blue t-shirt.  Kaoru's hand automatically closed on his nose to prevent it from bleeding.

She was wearing something else underneath that shirt but that didn't stop his nosebleed.  She looked so sexy in that black halter-top, which left her shoulder, back, and a rather wide expanse of her belly bare.  Her black jogging pants rid low on her hips.  It probably wasn't designed that way but her weight loss caused it to cling loosely to her hips instead of her waist.

Kaoru breath was stuck in his throat.  He never quite imagined that Ganko would turn out to be a major babe.  He shook his head vigorously as soon as hentai thoughts started popping in his head.  He couldn't be attracted to her.  She was his imouto-chan practically in every way.

Except in blood.

The wind coming from the window behind him jerked him from his thoughts.  It blew his hair towards his face making him realize that he was standing upwind from them.  He quickly hid behind a cement post just as his scent reached Kondo's nose.

The fox, which was presently in his 'live' form, held his head high before standing up from his resting position.  Kaoru sneaked a peek and saw that Kondo was looking straight at him.

"What is it, Kondo?  Is something wrong?"  Ganko asked the kitsune.

Kaoru was no longer peeking behind the post.  He tried not to move or breathe too much but could still feel that Kondo was gazing towards him.   A large sweatdrop appeared on his head as he anticipated Kondo giving away his position.

A couple of minutes of silence passed before he heard Ganko moving again.  Risking another peek, he saw that Kondo was no longer standing but was in a sitting position, his left pointy ear twitching.  He (meaning Kondo) was still looking at the post where the Anki wielder was hiding.  Kaoru realized that Kondo now knew that he was spying on his mistress but did not give him away.  He sighed in relief and slight worry.  Kondo was up to something and it wouldn't surprise him if the fox would blackmail him later on.

"Come on," Ganko said to Kondo as she finished clearing up her mess.  She had put on a clean white shirt, much to Kaoru's dismay.  "Let's go home.  I haven't done my math homework yet."

Kaoru followed behind them.  From a distance, he watched Ganko enter their (hers and Fuuko's) apartment holding the door wide for Kondo.  He stayed there, on the other side of the street, as he waited for her bedroom light to turn on.  And even after it did, he stayed leaning against a tree, staring up as he watched her shadow move around the room.

Stifling another yawn, he conceded that he needed to rest although he didn't want to leave his position.  She was safe enough for a few hours with Kondo watching over her.  Fuuko was sleeping in the room just beside Ganko's.  If anything happens, Fuuko would be able to come to her aid quickly.  And with one last look at the lit bedroom, he turned away to go home.

He walked slowly towards the apartment he shared with Tokiya-niichan a few blocs away.  He was almost asleep on his feet.  His bug eyes occasionally drooped down together with his head.  He was jolted awake when he reached their apartment building.

Sitting on the steps was Kondo, his red eyes and fur stood out against the dark night.  Kaoru was pretty sure that the fox went in with Ganko and that he wasn't followed.  Kondo must have snuck out of their apartment and purposely came to see him.

The Anki wielder knew why the fox was here.  It definitely had something to do with what happened earlier.  He had already known that Kondo might confront him but couldn't he at least wait until later.  Much, much later.  He badly needed to sleep.

"Go away," Kaoru said as he walked past Kondo.  He started to dig in his pants for his keys and was about to unlock the door when he noticed the kitsune change to his original stuffed form (B/N: The 'live' Kondo couldn't talk, remember?).

"Yare yare.  Is that how you greet your guests?  It's not very polite."  Kondo replied in his annoying, smug voice.

"Dropping in unannounced at 4:30 in the morning is not what you can call a polite visit."

"And I suppose stalking a girl is polite?"

Kaoru glared at the grinning stuffed fox.  He should have seen it coming.  "All right.  Let's get this over with.  Say whatever it is you wanted to say."

"Aren't you going to invite me in?  The air is chilly out here."

"Baka," Kaoru muttered as he opened the door.  He automatically went to his room, knowing that Kondo would follow behind him.  He took off his jacket and threw it to the nearest chair then flung himself face down on his bed.

"Oi!  You're not going to fall asleep on me now, are you?"  Kondo scrambled on top of the bed and sat near Kaoru's face.

"Hmph!"   Kaoru turned his face and buried it against his pillow.  He ignored the fox's pokes on his ribs but got irritated when he pulled on his hair.

"Itai!"  He sat up and glowered at Kondo, a nerve visibly thumped on his forehead.  "What did you do that for?"

"You were ignoring me."

"So?"

"So, we need to talk.  Or are you denying you were spying on us.  Iya.  You can't deny it.  I smelled you…unfortunately."

"What do you mean 'unfortunately'," Kaoru demanded.  Was the kitsune implying that he stunk?  He was about to pounce on him when he changed his mind.  "Why would I deny something that you obviously know as the truth?  I've been watching you train for seven nights straight.  So you see why I should be sleeping now instead of wasting what precious time's left before school starts talking to you?"

With that said, Kaoru lied down again and promptly fell asleep.  A couple of hours later he reluctantly woke up and snuggled his face deeper against the fluffy and furry pillow.

_Furry?___

Forcing his eyes to open, Kaoru lifted his head to see what was wrong with his pillow.  His eyes shot into saucer-size when he realized that he was hugging Kondo and that his face was buried on the fox's stomach.

"AARRGGGHH!!!"  Kaoru threw the grinning stuffed fox away from him.  Kondo flew across the room and slammed against the wall.

"Why the heck did you do that for?"  Kondo demanded, his head covered with band-aids and his fist rose in anger.

"Why?!  WHY?!!  You're asking me _why_ I did that?!!!  _Why_ are you still here?  And on my bed for that matter?"

"Geez, loosen up, gaki.  You were not the only one who wa tired, you know."  Kondo jumped back on the bed.  "Besides, we haven't finished talking yet."

"What else is there to talk about?"

"Oh, like how come you've been spying on Ganko."

"Isn't the answer obvious?  If you really want to know, I think you make a lousy guard dog."  Kaoru smirked as he headed towards the bathroom.

"Nani!"  Kondo fumed but instantly calmed down and smirked back.  "Are you _sure_ that's your only reason?"

"What else could there be?"

"Oh I don't know…maybe because you are helplessly in love with my mistress."

"Nani?!"  It was Kaoru's turn to yell the word.

"Ganko.  My Ganko.  Daijoubu.  I'll save you."  Kondo playacted as he wrapped his arms around himself, imitating the boy's action and words while he was sleeping.

Kaoru's face turned deep red as he recalled those words from his dream.  He must have said them out loud.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied nonchalantly.  He'd rather die than admit the truth to the annoying fox.

"Aw, come on.  I already caught you red-handed.  No use denying it.  You almost squeezed me to death in the process."

"I'll squeeze you to death right now if you won't knock it off."  Kaoru threatened before slamming the bathroom door behind him.

He tried not to think about it as he showered but excerpts from the dream kept popping in his head.

The dream started with Ganko standing alone in a green meadow, crying.  Kaoru's heart had hurt at the sight and sounds that she projected.  He watched her look at him when he called out her name.  He opened his arms to her and without hesitation she ran towards him.

He could still feel the imaginary warmth that spread through his body when she wrapped her arms around his waist as he enveloped her with his own.  After her sobs had subsided, he lifted her chin up and gazed at those bright sapphire eyes.

"My Ganko," he whispered.  "Daijoubu.  I won't let anyone or anything hurt you.  I will save you, I promise."

And then he did the unthinkable.  He kissed her.  On the lips.  He kissed his little sister on the lips.  And quite passionately at that.

That was when he woke up and found out that he was actually kissing Kondo's hairy tummy.

_What does that dream mean_, he thought as he swiped the fogged mirror above the sink with his hand.  At first he had thought that he dreamt it because of his desire to comfort and protect her like he used to.  But then the kiss threw him off.

_Was Kondo right?  Am I in love with Ganko?_  He asked his reflection but received no answer.  Although he had to admit that he had become possessive of the blond, blue-eyed girl.  He had it pegged to his desire to protect her.  From Tsukiho and all the others who wanted to hurt her.

_But why does he have this strong desire to protect her?_  It was because he didn't want to lose her.

_But who was it that he doesn't want to lose…Ganko, his sister or Ganko, his first love?  _He went right back to his second question.  Kaoru ruffled his damp hair in confusion.

"Oi, Kaoru!  Better hurry up or you'll be late for school," came a muffled shout from Tokiya-niichan downstairs.

Kaoru sighed and shoved the dream at the back of his mind only to be dug up by Kondo again who was still waiting for him in his room.  "You're still here?"

"Of course.  You didn't think I'd give up on you that easy, did you?  Just admit it…you're totally besotted with her, aren't you?"

"Besotted," Kaoru snorted.  "I didn't know such deep word existed in your vocabulary."

"You know nothing about how extensive my vocabulary has become.  And don't change the subject.  You love her."

"I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

The exchange continued on even when they entered the kitchen, causing Tokiya to lift his head from the morning paper to observe what's going on.

"No, I don't," Kaoru automatically said as he poured cornflakes in his bowl.

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Aha!!! You finally admit it!  Kaoru loves Ganko!  Kaoru loves Ganko!  Kaoru loves Ganko!"  Kondo sang out as he did the jiggy dance around the kitchen.

_Drat!  I can't believe I fell for that one_, Kaoru winced inwardly.  "No fair.  You cheated."

But Kondo just kept on dancing.  Kaoru tried to ignore the annoying fox but he was really getting on his nerve.  He decided to just eat his breakfast as fast as he could so he could hightail out of the house.  The movements of his spoon going to his mouth then back to the bowl were a blur.  A minute later he drank his glass of milk with one gulp, grabbed his backpack and dashed past Kondo, restraining the urge to kick him like a football.

"I think you overdid it," Tokiya said as he sipped his coffee.

"Nah.  I just pushed him a little bit.  He can be so dense," Kondo replied with an evil grin.

"What about Ganko?"  Tokiya turned the page of the newspaper.

"Ah!  Don't remind me.  She can be a problem since she's not only dense but extremely naïve too.  But don't worry.  I'll have those two together in no time."

To be continued…

**BISHLOV:**  I know, I know.  It's too short (compared to the previous chapters) and it probably sucked too.  This is what I get for posting six unfinished fics (I promised to make a sequel to my finished CCS fic).  The pressure on updating each is getting to me.  I mean just look at me — @_@.  Btw, I hope you don't mind that Kondo is a bit OOC.  The temptation to make him a cupid is overwhelming.  Oh well, I hope you'll give this chapter at least a satisfactory mark.  Tell me what you think…please send in your reviews!


	4. Chapter 4

**BISHLOV'S WORDS OF GRATITUDE AND OTHERS:**

**icy-natsu85** – Here's chapter 4.  It's a bit rushed but I like it just the same.  I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you'll like this one too.  And yes I agree with you.  These two make such a kawaii couple.

**M!SaO****^_^** - Ehehehe ^_^0.  Thanks for the compliment although I would like it better if you don't call me that because it just might pressure me to insanity.  However, your opinion is very much appreciated.  I love those two couples too (assuming that you're talking about Kaoru+Ganko and Tokiya+Fuuko although I like the Recca+Yanagi pairing too but not that much).

**Enigma** – I'm glad that you liked the idea of Kondo being a matchmaker.  I was expecting someone to flame me about it since in the anime Kondo doesn't really care too much about anyone else except himself.  Hehehe.  I just love the idea of Kondo teasing Kaoru endlessly.

**JaKil13** – I am so sorry that I wasn't able to upload this soon enough.  I update chapters alternately in between my other fics.  Currently I still have four unfinished stories (including this one) so please bear with my slow pace.  In another note, I am still inclined to believe that Kurapika is a girl because he is too beautiful to be a guy.  But if you're sure that he's a guy then all I can say is…MAMATAY KA LEORIO!  AKIN LANG SI KURAPIKA!  DO YOU HEAR ME?!  HE'S MINE…ALL MINE!  BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

**Fire Arrow** – Thanks for reviewing.  I'm gonna start the roller coaster ride this chapter so hold on to your seat.

**Genki**** girl** – They're my favorite couple after ToFuu too ^_^.

**dueyoso** – Thanks.  As I said earlier this is a bit late but hey…better late than never, ne?

**Vamp** – MABUHEY!!!  Yes, my inquisitve kababayan, I am a citizen of the lovely Pearl of the Orient.  There are lots of Filipinos in FF.net.  We are swarming in great number like the flies in Payatas.  JaKil13 (one of my reviewers) and SAICHO-18 (who's currently writing a Kurei+Fuuko fic) are also Filipinos.  And if you go to the Hunter X Hunter site, most of the writers there are our kababayan too.

**Lafine** – Here's the next chapter.  ALL HAIL THE COOLEST FoR PAIRS…TOKIYA+FUUKO AND KAORU+GANKO!!!

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

BABY YOU'RE MINE 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 4

"What?!"

"Huh?  What do you mean 'what'?"

Ganko shot an irritated look at Kaoru.  This had been the fourth time she caught him taking, what he imagined to be, an inconspicuous look at her ever since he picked her up so they could walk to school together.  "Do I have something on my face?  Is that why you kept on looking at me?"

"Er…no."

"Then what is it?" she demanded in exasperation.  Her irritation suddenly disappeared when she shot him another glance.

_Was he blushing?_  Ganko's blue eyes swept over his face but the morning sun momentarily blinded her.  When her vision cleared Kaoru had already feigned an innocent look.  It was quite obvious that he was not planning on answering her question anytime soon.

_Did I imagine it or was he really blushing?  But why would he blush in the first place?_

Her conversation with Megumi suddenly popped in her head.

_I think Kaoru likes you_, Megumi had said yesterday.

_Of course he likes me.  I'm his friend_, Ganko retorted back.

Not that kind of 'like'.  You know, 'like-like'.

_Like-like?_  Ganko wondered now.  _What the heck was that?_  She had always heard about it.  There was 'like' and there was 'like-like'.  It was either you like a person or you 'like-like' a person after which you love the person.

_Does Kaoru like me as in 'like-like' or was Megumi just imagining things_, she thought, fighting her very own blush.  _It doesn't seem possible since the only girl he thinks as special is Yanagi-neechan._

She frowned at the thought, making her wonder why she did so.  _Do I 'like-like' Kaoru?_

She never got to think of an answer because she bumped into something hard.

"Itai," she rubbed her forehead and saw that she walked into someone's back.  It wasn't long before she found out whose back it was.

"Hey!  Watch where you're going," Nakajima roared as he turned around.  His goon squad immediately came to his aid, ready to beat the crap out of the person who bumped into him.  The mean scowls on their badly bruised faces vanished when they realized who that person was.  Then their faces lost all color when the saw who was with her.

"AAAHH!!!  Gomen nasai!  We didn't see anything!  Gomen nasai!  Gomen nasai!"

Ganko watched in confusion as the group of boys yelled those words and quickly covered their eyes with the palm of their hands.  They backed away from them, blindly stumbling on top of each other as they made their hasty retreat.

"What was that all about?"  She said out loud in wonder with question marks popping over her head.

"I have absolutely no idea."  Kaoru pushed her to walk again.  She never did get to see that he was smirking behind her.

What she did notice was that his hand did not leave her small back.  The blush that she had been fighting crept slowly from her neck to her face.  But even though she thought that his touch was a tad disconcerting, she couldn't help but get this feeling that it was so right.  His hand felt so warm and comforting.

_Kuso__.__  This is all Megumi's fault.  I wouldn't be thinking this way if she hadn't messed with my mind with those silly notions_, she thought, unaware of the looks the other students were throwing at them.

"Daijoubu?  You suddenly became quiet," Kaoru interrupted her musings.

"I-I'm just thinking," she stuttered.

"About what?"

"About something that doesn't concern you," she replied a bit harshly, scared that he might find out that she was really thinking about him…and herself.

"Koganei-sempai!"

Ganko couldn't help but roll her eyes heavenward.  She didn't have to turn around to know who screeched Kaoru's name.  That annoying voice could only belong to…

"Ohayo, Koganei-sempai," Meiling suddenly appeared at his side, latching onto his arm like a python to its prey.

_Yup.__  It's her all right_, Ganko thought in amusement and irritation.  Meiling Li was a sophomore who thought Ganko was a nobody who didn't deserve to hang around the resident bishounen.  Ganko didn't mind because the older girl was really the one who's a nobody.  It amused Ganko that Meiling thought she had a hold on Kaoru whereas he didn't even remember her name even if she had told him like a million times.

Ganko called her the 'High and Mighty Priestess of the Koganei Cult'.  She saw her locker once and had to admire the way she managed to post a zillion of Kaoru's pictures on the inside wall of the metal door.  And she wouldn't be surprised if the girl was hiding a candle or two somewhere inside her locker because she smelled its heady scent eight lockers away.  All of her friends happened to share the same obsession on the Anki wielder and had equally sweatdrop-inspiring shrines in their lockers, which were why Ganko dubbed their group as the 'Koganei Cult'.

"So have you decided who you're going to take to the high school dance?" She tugged on his arm.

"Er, no…um…" Kaoru stalled.

"Meiling."  Ganko was only too happy to provide him of her name none too quietly.  She resisted the urge to snort out loud when the girl glared at her.  She had just realized that he was with Ganko and, not only that, had his hand on her back.

"Uh, right…Meiling.  Anou, isn't it a bit early to worry about the dance?"  Kaoru sweatdropped because of what he said plus he couldn't feel the blood circulating in his arm anymore.

"Are you kidding?  It's just a few months away," she made her voice sound sweet as though to lure him to asking her out.

"Dang!  She's right, Kaoru!  Only five months left.  The horror!"  Ganko mocked with wide eyes and a dead serious tone.  Meiling sent another glare at her.  If looks could kill…well, she wouldn't have to worry about Tsukiho.  Maybe they could get together and haunt Domon instead.  _Or better yet, Meiling_, she thought with a giggle.

Kaoru gave her a warning look that she dismissed with a bright smile.  A smile that turned to mush when she felt his hand press harder on her flesh to reinforce his look.  And just as her mind was starting to swirl, she felt his hand slide away from her back.

"Hey, there are the girls now.  Come on, Koganei-sempai, let's go say hi to them," Meiling dragged a confused Kaoru to the other end of the school grounds.

Ganko just stood there with an equally bemused expression.  She didn't know with whom she was annoyed.  Was it because of Meiling…because the insufferable girl liked Kaoru?  Or was it because she herself liked Kaoru?  Well she was still not sure if it was 'like-like' but it was annoying just the same.

She was too caught up with her thoughts that she did not notice that Megumi was at her side.  The other girl had been standing beside her for quite some time now, looking alternately back and forth from Ganko to the object of her attention several times.  Megumi did not even bother to conceal her knowing grin when she decided to snap Ganko out of her thoughts.

"He's got a nice butt, doesn't he?"

"Hmm…yeah…WHA—?!  Who's got a nice butt?"  Ganko flushed.

"Aw, come on.  No use pretending.  There's only one guy in your line of vision," Megumi teased.  "So you've finally realized that Kaoru-sempai is no brother material, eh?"

Ganko's protests died on her lips.  She decided that it was less energy consuming if she told the truth.  Besides, what are friends for if you couldn't tell them about that irksome voice that had been nagging you from the back of your brain?

"I'm not sure anymore, Megumi," she quietly told her friend as they moved to enter the school building.  "I'm used to thinking that he's my oniichan but I guess all those years apart changed us.  And I don't just mean physical changes.  Sure he's still that annoying, cheeky brat but somehow…somehow he's different."

"What is it that you feel whenever you're with him?"

"Irritated.  Confused."

"Okaaay…let me change that.  What do you feel when he looks at you?"

Ganko thought for a long time before seriously answering, "What kind of look?"

Megumi sweatdropped.  "Scratch that question out.  What do you feel when he smiles at you?  And I'm not just talking about his cheeky grin."

Ganko thought hard again for a long time, almost making Megumi dread her answer.  She wasn't disappointed when it came though.

"Sometimes his smile makes me feel warm and tingly on the inside."  Ganko dreamily replied with a blush.

_Ahh__, now we're getting somewhere_, Megumi's eyes sparkled.

"What about when he touches you?  You know, on the shoulder…at the elbow…_on the back…"_

"Have you been spying on us?"  Ganko sputtered in surprise.

"Well, technically it's not spying.  You guys were rather obvious.  So…how did it feel being touched that way by your 'brother'?"

"What do you mean we were 'rather obvious'?"  She demanded after recovering from the shock.  "Do you suppose other people noticed?"

"Oh, please!  Why do you suppose the Priestess suddenly dragged Prince Charming away from you?  And stop evading the question and answer it.

"Anou…"

"Answer what question?"  Both girls jumped in surprise at the sound of Kaoru's voice.

"Hey, why did you leave me out there," he fell in step between them.

"Aw, come on.  The great Kaoru Koganei could handle a dozen girls with both hands tied behind the back.  Don't tell me you're losing your touch," Megumi snorted.

"My touch?  Nah!  Just my interest.  I'm finding their incessant adoration quite tiring nowadays."  He answered back haughtily.  

"Hmm…I wonder why."  Megumi pondered while giving a very red Ganko a sidelong glance.

"So what were you girls talking about?"

Kaoru placed a hand on Ganko's waist.  He pulled her to his side so he could switch places with her so that she wouldn't get bumped into by the thickening crowd.

Ganko's face whitened at his first touch then instantly turned beet red again at his chivalrous act.  Her heart was starting to palpitate and her breathing was getting irregular.  His touch was starting to be anything near comfortable.

"Nan demo nai.  We'd better hurry or we'll be late for first period."  With that, Ganko brisk walked ahead as though the bakuju (spellbound madougu) itself was after her.

"What's with her?"  Kaoru asked in confusion.

"I was wrong, Kaoru-sempai," Megumi threw a delighted laugh over her shoulder.  "You're not losing your touch after all."

~Later in class~

Ganko fought hard to stifle another yawn.  She hated History class not just because the subject itself was boring but also because their teacher has this tendency to drone on and on about a specific topic in a very monotonous voice.  He always made his lectures as exciting as counting hair.

Iie.  That's wrong.  I'd choose counting Tokiya-niichan's hair anytime over this class.

To make matters worse, Mizuki-sensei was having a slide show about World War II.  Sure it was an interesting topic but Ganko would rather play with Mikoto doll right now, nails and everything.  She was sure it would be less painful.

The thing is, the dim lit room and the soft hum of the projector was making her sleepy.  Her eyes were starting to droop so in order to keep them from doing so, she let them wander around the room.  It was a bad idea though because almost all of her classmates were asleep, making her very envious.  Sleep was not a luxury she could give into.

Maybe I could rest my eyes for a little while.  Ten minutes.  I can rest for ten minutes.

She gave in to the temptation, letting her fears be overridden.  She slid low on her chair so she could lean her head on the backrest.  It was uncomfortable but then she didn't want to get too comfortable and risk sleeping longer.  It wasn't long before the cool, dark ambience of the room and the teacher's monotonous voice put Ganko in a deep slumber.

~Start of Dream Sequence~

The beauty of her surroundings took her breath away.  She was standing on an emerald carpet covering the vast meadow with occasional flowers emerging from the grass blades.  The wind stirred her golden strands, making her close her eyes at the serenity that was quickly overcoming her entire body.

Peace.  It has been a long time since she last felt this peaceful in her sleep.  The nightmares made sure that she got none.

Tears started to fill her eyes.  She was so tired of everything.  Tired of having nightmares…tired of being scared…tired of pretending to be strong…

Tired of fighting Tsukiho alone.

"But you don't have to be alone."

The wind carried the soft whisper to her.  She turned around and saw Kaoru standing several feet away from her.

What is he doing in my dream?  Nevertheless, I can't let him see me cry.  I don't want him to think that I'm still a crybaby.  She turned away from him again, not wanting to see his cheeky grin.

"Ganko."  The wind whispered again.

There was something in his voice that enticed her to look back.  His face held not his usual smug look but a gentle expression that spread warmth throughout her body.  She watched him raise his arms to her, as though beckoning her to come to him.

And she did.  She threw away all of her hesitation along with her hard façade and ran to him.  His arms closed around her, gently at first then tightened when her tears started to fall.  She tried to push away for she was drenching his shirt but he wouldn't let her.

So they stood there for a long time with her sobbing against his chest and him brushing her hair with his fingers then letting them glide down her back.  When her tears abated, she felt his hand touch her chin and lifted her face up to his.

"My Ganko."  This time she heard the words directly from him instead of the wind.  She saw his lips move to whisper her name.

Dazed by the gentle look in his brown eyes and the mesmerizing lull of his tone, she did not notice his head bending towards hers until that moment when she felt his warm breath on her cheek.  And suddenly all she could think of was to kiss him on the lips…to feel their warmth and softness on hers.  Her eyelids fluttered close as she waited for him to give her first kiss.

But instead of warmth, a cold sensation spread from her lips down her spine.  The lips on hers were icy cold and hard, bruising her and causing so much pain.  She opened her eyes and what she saw frightened her.

She was staring at cold, black eyes.  She was not kissing Kaoru.  She was kissing some stranger.  A stranger with a grin as evil as his eyes.

"Did you miss me?"

_That voice!_  She pushed him away from her with all of her might.  "Tsukiho."

"Ah.  You remembered my name.  How flattering."  The man took a step forward and smirked when Ganko took a step back.  He was actually a good-looking man if it had not been for his ring less charcoal eyes that shouted death.  His hair was jet black, falling over the dreadful eyes but not covering them and his frightful stare one bit.  His body was clothed with black ninja robes but she could see that he was as muscular as Domon, maybe even more.

"Have you been a good girl while I was away?"

She couldn't answer…couldn't think.  Her brain was replaying their last encounter over and over again.  She watched with her mind's eye how her kunai pierced her flesh with such agonizing force.

"Cat got your tongue?"  He took another step forward but this time Ganko was unable to move.  Her fright had rooted her feet to the ground.  "Perhaps now you would give my madougu back."

"Never," she managed to sputter out.

Without any warning, Tsukiho's hand reached for her neck and raised her a couple of feet off the ground.  Ganko groped his hand and tried to pry his fingers from her.  She couldn't breathe.  She tried to fight back but the lack of air and the terror coursing through her body was making her weaker by the second.

"Why do you fight me so?  You know you'll never win.  Especially now that my craving has become stronger when I realized that the Kata Kugutsu has obtained much more power than before."

His laughter gave her goose bumps.  She was fast losing consciousness.  This didn't seem like a dream anymore.  This was real.  He was really here with her, squeezing the life out of her.

"Don't worry.  I'll let you live longer.  There's nothing I love more than to see you live your life in abject terror."  With one great heave, he threw her to the ground, barely conscious.  "It's a pity you have to tell that boyfriend of yours that he won't be your first kiss."

~End of Dream Sequence~

"Ganko!  Ganko!"

She held on to the voice like a lifeline knowing that it belonged to Kaoru.  The lack of air burned her lungs but try as she might she could not take in a single breathe.  Vaguely, she felt something warm on her mouth and soon there was a burst of air flowing to her lungs.

_More.__  Onegai_, she silently pleaded for more warmth…more air.  Thrice she pleaded and thrice she was given air.  Before she could plead for one more she heard Kaoru's voice again, heard it tremble in fear.  "Damn it, Ganko!  Breathe!"

She reacted almost immediately.  She did not want Kaoru to worry.  Summoning all of her strength, she made an effort to force herself to take in a deep breath all by herself.  The burn on her lungs was starting to diminish so she took another breath…and another…and another.

She felt something brush against her cheek.  She raised her hand and found that it was another hand.

Kaoru's hand.

Ganko opened her eyes and found herself lying on the floor, half reclining against Kaoru's chest.

"A-arigatou," she managed to wheeze out before losing consciousness again, barely noticing the people surrounding them.

To be continued…

**BISHLOV:**  Is it just me or do you guys think that each chapter is getting shorter and shorter?  Gomen ne.  I'm not being lazy (well, not entirely ^_^0).  I just wanted the next scenes to be under Kaoru's POV.  Aw, come on.  I know you want that too.  So stay tuned because there will be some more jiggy dances coming from me and our favorite stuffed kitsune.  Please don't forget to review or else I won't update this until the next decade.  Bwahahahahaha!!!  Just kidding.  No wait…I am serious.  BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!


	5. Chapter 5

**BISHLOV NOTES:**

[1] ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU TO ALL OF THE REVIEWERS!!!  YOU GUYS ARE THE GREATEST!!!

[2] Another arigatou to **boo** and **smabbi-chan**.  You guys know why.

[3] Yes I borrowed the Priestess' name from CCS although not the character itself.  Meiling Li is the kawaii yet sometimes annoying cousin of Syaoran Li.  Don't get me wrong I like her and I love her ruby eyes.  It's just that at the beginning of that anime Meiling has a crush on Syaoran and glomps on him all the time that's why I thought she would be appropriate since _my_ Meiling sticks to Kaoru like a leech.  Hmm.  Come to think of it maybe I should have used Nakuru Akizuki.  Never mind!  I also borrowed Ganko's History teacher's name (Mizuki) from CCS.

[4] Tell me what you think…send in a review!!!

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

BABY YOU'RE MINE 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 5

Everything seemed so familiar…

Ganko lying in bed after being attacked by a demented ghost.

Kaoru sitting beside her bed, waiting for her to wake up.

The only differences were the time and place.  This time it was daytime and that they were in the school's sickbay.  An hour had already passed since she was attacked.  An hour that almost drove Kaoru to insanity.

He had failed to protect her again.  Despite of his vows to do so, he was unable to.  Again he had come too late.  Almost too late.  If he had come a minute later, he might not have been able to resuscitate Ganko back to life.

~Flashback~

Kaoru yawned a huge and loud yawn, not caring if his teacher noticed it.  It was another boring trigonometry class.  He didn't really need to take this class since nothing that the teacher could teach would be anything new to him.  He was a whiz in science and math.  His sensei could give him a pop quiz on anything, even about things she hadn't discussed yet, and he would still be able to finish it at half the time and ace it at that.

After all, mathematics was nothing compared to handling the Kougan Anki while at the same time thinking of strategies to defeat a fellow madougu wielder.

So he let his mind wander as he always did during trig class.  And sure enough his mind wandered towards that thing that was bothering him all morning…

His annoying conversation (or should he say, argument) with that annoying stuffed kitsune.

_Am I really in love with Ganko?_

_Is she really more than a sister to me?_

_What does that blasted dream mean?_

His mind instantly recalled his dream.  He could still see it vividly.

He could still remember how lost she had looked standing alone in that vast meadow.

How her eyes shone like blue gems because of her tears.

How right it felt to have her in his arms, soft and yielding.

How her lips quivered in anticipation to his.

Just as he was about to recall their mind-blowing yet nonexistent kiss, he had felt a sudden chill down his spine.  It was the same feeling he had when Ganko summoned Kondo…when Tsukiho attacked her in that alley.

_Ganko__!_  His heart shouted.  She was in danger.  He could feel it.

He abruptly stood up causing his chair to tumble backwards.  He ran out of the classroom, unaware of the stares his classmates were giving him or the 'I'm so fed up with you, Koganei' tirade of his teacher.  He was not aware of anything else except of the feeling of dread spreading all throughout his body and soul.

He reached her room, cursing that it was too far from his own.  He peered through the door's small window and tried to find Ganko among the sea of faces in the dark room.

A movement at the back of the room caught his eye.  The dim light from the projector gave him enough light to see that it was Ganko.  She was clutching her neck as though something was strangling her.

He quickly slid the door open and ran to her side.  By the time he reached her she was already falling to the floor, unconscious.  He caught her in his arms and shook her shoulders.

"Turn the damn lights on," he shouted in fear and frustration.  The teacher snapped out of his shock and hurried to do so.

Kaoru blinked at the sudden brightness of the room.  People were starting to move in around them, curious at to what was happening.  The blood left his face as he gazed at Ganko's tear stricken, ashen face.  Her hands were curled near her neck where bruises were starting to form.  They looked like finger marks.  Kaoru's anger turned to rage when he realized whose fingers those were.

"Ganko!  Ganko!"  He shook her shoulder, this time more furiously.

"She's not breathing," Megumi said in alarm.  She had managed to elbow her way through the crowd and was now kneeling in front of Kaoru.

_Oh, God, no!_  His heart shouted yet again.  His mind was not content to lay dormant though.  It ordered his body to lay Ganko down on the floor and perform CPR.

So that was what he did.  He placed the blond girl on the floor, tilted her head, pinched her nose and breathed through her parted lips.

He did it once, twice, thrice.  After the fourth breath, he got annoyed with Ganko for not cooperating.

"Damn it, Ganko!  Breathe!"

And as if she heard his command, he heard a ragged sound come from her throat followed by a shallow intake of air.

There was a collective sigh from the crowd.  Kaoru, however, did not release his own sigh of relief until he saw Ganko breathe more deeply and easily.  Her blue orbs opened and stared at his face then let out a breathless 'arigatou' before falling back to unconsciousness.

He picked her up and carried her in his arms.  The crowd's whispers hushed when they noticed the fury in his eyes and the grim tightness of his lips.  They automatically parted to let him pass.  From there to the other building where the clinic was located, he kept her close to his body, not caring about the rumors that were already starting to spread.

~End of Flashback~

He had moved to sit on her bed and gently took a hand in his.  His other hand went to her neck where the ugly bruises were visible.  They looked menacing against her creamy neck.  He lightly traced them with a finger, willing them to disappear.  When they did not, he took the ever-present red bandanna that was tied around his right wrist and loosely wound it around her neck like a scarf.

It was lucky that the school nurse was a gullible person.  She did not question when he said that Ganko had a mild asthma attack and that he already gave her some medicine.  The nurse checked Ganko's breathing using her stethoscope and said afterwards that the medicine seemed to be working since she was breathing fine.

That was all Kaoru wanted to hear…that Ganko was okay.

It wasn't as if he could tell the nurse what really happened to Ganko.  What would he say?  _Oh, she was strangled by a ghost who wants her psychic device that's capable of giving life to dolls in order to resurrect himself._

Not likely.  She may be gullible but she was not stupid.  He would probably be sent to the guidance counselor where he would undoubtedly be checked if he was under the influence of illegal substances.  Kaoru was also thankful that she didn't notice how he arranged Ganko's hair so it would cover her bruises.

Now her golden tresses were spread on the white pillow cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders.  Frowning at the deathly pallor on her face, he could still feel his stomach churn with the fear of almost losing her again.  Could still feel it clutching his heart in a tightening grip.

The thought of losing her, of not seeing her bright smile, was enough to almost drive him insane with distress.

I do love her.

The realization came swiftly to him when he had settled her on one of the clinic's beds and had calmed down considerably enough to allow himself to contemplate about his earlier actions.  He knew that his actions were slightly crazed.  And now he knew the reason why that was so.

Much as he hated to admit it, the bothersome stuffed fox was right.  He was in love with Ganko.  He had mistaken his desire to protect her for brotherly affection whereas the truth was that desire was the same as Recca's desire to protect Yanagi.  To protect his hime, his one true love, from any harm.

And for the second time around Kaoru had failed to shield _his_ princess.  Yes he had succeeded in preventing her death in both attacks but he should have barred Tsukiho from laying even a single finger on her.  How exactly he was supposed to do that was beyond him.  But all be damned if he let any more harm come to Ganko again.

He would readily give his own life if it would ensure the safety of his love.

He knew that even if he had the courage to tell her how he felt once she awakens, he wouldn't.  Not because he was scared how it would affect their present relationship although it was partly for that reason.  With all of her problems right now he didn't want his confession of love to add to those that were already bothering her mind.

No.  He would have to wait for a more appropriate time.  Besides, everything felt so new to him.  He would have to get used to the notion of being in love.  All he could do now was support her, guard her, and love her from afar (figuratively speaking).

Her head moved slightly on the pillow and her face scrunched up in pain.  Kaoru waited patiently for her to fully waken.  He tried to calm his raging insides because of her obvious discomfort.  How he wanted to get his hands on Tsukiho right now and squeeze the life out of him or whatever it was that was sustaining his unwanted existence.

Her fluttering lids and soft sigh told him that she was steadily gaining consciousness.  Her eyes opened and he watched the blue orbs lose its dullness and began to luster as they started to focus.  It took a minute more for her to realize what had happened.  She suddenly sat up and brought a hand to her neck.

"It's okay.  You're safe now."  Kaoru placed his hands on her shoulder and gently pushed her to lie back down.  He stopped when she let out a ragged sob and her eyes shone with unshed tears.  "Daijoubu?"

To say that he was shocked at her response was an understatement.  He felt his entire body stiffen with surprise and longing when Ganko threw her arms around his neck, buried her face to his chest and cried uncontrollably.

After he got over the initial shock (which was about five seconds tops), he relaxed and enveloped her shaking body with his arms.  The sounds of her sobs caused his heart to wrench with love and sorrow.  It broke his heart that the one who unknowingly gave him love and happiness was suffering.

He did not utter a single word.  Partly because he did not know what to say.  But mostly because he was afraid that his voice would startle her tears.  She was finally opening up and letting him see her frustrations and pain.  He did not want to scare her back into her shell.

So instead, he gently lifted her up and placed her bodily on his lap. His arms around her tightened, his right hand alternately brushing her hair from her face and rubbing warmth to her back while his left hand kept its firm hold on her waist.  He rocked her back and forth as though trying to put a baby to sleep.  After a while her tears subsided although her sobs were still racking her body.

"Gomen nasai," she kept on repeating the words in between sobs and hiccups.

"What are you apologizing for?"

(B/N:  '…' would signify hiccups, k?  I'm too lazy to type it down repeatedly.)

"I couldn't…move…training…worthless…I'm such a…weakling.  And…and then…he…kissed me."

"HE WHAT?!"

Kaoru slightly pulled away from her and tipped her face towards his.  His angry yell brought a new batch of tears to her eyes.  She had thought that he was angry with her for being so weak but the truth was he was furious at Tsukiho for spoiling his love's innocence and causing misery at that.

"It was so…awful…disgusting…no matter how hard…I try…can't keep…the memory away…make it stop, Kaoru…make him…stop."

Ganko was starting to become hysterical.  She clutched the front of his top and hid her face on the crook of his neck, fearful that Kaoru was now ashamed of her.  He had calmed down enough to realize how low she must have felt right now.  He wasn't ashamed of her.  There was nothing she could do that would make him feel that way towards her.

When neither of his soothing voice nor actions calmed her hysterics, he decided that there was only one thing left to do.  She had wanted him to make the memory of Tsukiho's kiss go away so that was what he was going to do.

The only way to make a bad experience disappear was to replace it with a good one.

For the second time around he pulled away from her and tipped her chin up.  He gazed deeply at her confused eyes and watched them slowly close when his lips descended over them.  He kissed her closed lids one after the other before lightly moving over her wet cheeks to wipe away her tears.

It was as if time itself had stopped and nothing else could be heard except for the hard thuds of their hearts.  Everything seemed so magical that not even Ganko's occasional hiccups could break the spell that weaved around the young pair.

A long, drawn-out sigh escaped her lips as his lips continued to brush chastely over her face.  Judging from her serene look, he knew that she had calmed down considerably.  He was about to stop but was instantly drawn to her slightly parted pink lips.  He was tempted to kiss her there, tempted to find out if her lips were really as sweet as they were in his dream.

Throwing away all caution, he decided to give in to the temptation.  He was always a man of action who rarely thought of consequences.  He would worry about the effect of this kiss later.

And with no further ado, he let his lips brush against hers ever so lightly.  He saw her lips quiver in reaction so he brushed over them again.  He pressed his lips on hers more firmly afterwards, mesmerized as he was with their softness.  And yes the kiss was unbearably sweet though it was not because of her strawberry lip-gloss.  It was because of the delicious shivers that were running up and down his spine.

It was a simple, chaste kiss but he knew that it was special.  But was it as special to her as it was for him?  Kaoru supposed it was for her cheeks developed a lovely tinge of pink and her now open eyes were sparkling brighter than a sun kissed ocean.

"Feeling better?" he asked as he fought down a blush of his own.  Ganko responded by burying her head on the crook of his neck but this time because of embarrassment and not shame.  She nodded her head twice, tickling him with her bangs in the process.  They stayed in each other's arms for a long time, neither wanting to break the magical moment.

Neither of them noticed that the door separating the room from the nurse's office opened and closed.  It wasn't until they heard loud noises that their eyes shot open.  Slowly, they leaned over to the edge of the bed and peered at the source of the sound.

"KONDO!!!"  They shouted in unison at the grinning kitsune.

"So does this mean Koganei's gonna take over my side of the bed?"

The stuffed fox's grin grew wider as he waited for them to realize that his mistress was still sitting on top of the gaki's lap.  Ganko quickly got off him and moved to the head of the bed while Kaoru edged towards the other end.  Both have faces as red as apples.

Kondo struggled to get on the bed with his stomach over the edge and his stubby legs kicking around to get momentum.  Ganko immediately picked him up and hugged him to her chest.  She was glad to see him as well as embarrassed that he stumbled on them in such a position.

"I-itai!  You're squeezing me too hard!"  The kitsune waved his arms and legs in objection.

"Gomen ne," she apologized as she sneaked a peek at Kaoru over the sputtering Kondo.  Coincidentally, it was at that moment that Kaoru chose to peek at Ganko as well.  Their eyes met causing them to blush anew although they did not look away, unable they were to do so.

Kondo, of course, noticed this since he was in the line of fire.  He trudged to Kaoru and waved his forepaw on his face in his attempt to break the eye contact.  "Oi, oi!  That's enough mushy stuff for one day.  Jeez!  What are you trying to do…give me diabetes?"

"Baka," Kaoru growled, irritated now for bothering his special moment with Ganko.  "What the heck are you doing here?"

"Checking up on Ganko, of course.  Kami knows what you might have done to her."

"Nani!  I wouldn't do anything to her."

"Then why are you blushing?"  Kondo countered with a snicker.  "Hehehe.  Looks like I missed the action.  Taking advantage of the maiden in distress, I see."

"NANI!!!  WHY YOU…!"

"Maa, maa."  Ganko intercepted the quarrel.  Kaoru did not want to upset her so he ceased his would-be attack on the stuffed fox (who was now on top of Ganko's head) and just sent him a death glare.  Once the atmosphere was more or less calm, Ganko proceeded to question Kondo.  "Ne, how did you get here?"

"I snuck in Mikagami-san's van."

"You mean Tokiya-niichan is here too?"

"Aa.  The gaki called earlier to tell us what happened.  The rest of the gang is here too."  At that moment the door slid open again and loud shouts permeated the room.

"Chotto matte!  You can't go in there.  There's too many of you."  The nurse's shouts were heard over the noise of arguments.

Kaoru, being the one nearest the door, saw Fuuko, Tokiya, Recca and Yanagi stride towards them.  Domon was left by the door to pacify (or torture) the irate nurse.  After a second of the mohawked man's insulting pick-up lines, the nurse punched him on the face and slammed the door behind her, leaving Domon twitching on the floor.

"Ganko, are you all right?"  Fuuko cried out the moment she reached the bed.

"H-hai!"  Ganko sent a sidelong glance to Kaoru who moved away from the bed in order to give access to the other people.  For some reason he felt shy towards her.  Maybe it was because of the kiss.  Or maybe it was because of what Kondo had said about him taking advantage of her.  Whatever it was he couldn't make himself look at her.

Fuuko and Yanagi fussed over Ganko especially after they saw Ganko's bruises.  Yanagi had offered to heal her but she refused adamantly with her hand clutching the edge of the red bandanna.  Kaoru couldn't help but wonder as to why she didn't want Yanagi to heal her.  Was it because she didn't want to remove his bandanna?  Did she find comfort with it?

_Don't be ridiculous, Koganei_, he snorted inwardly.  _There's no way she would want such a fashion relic.  She just doesn't wants to feel weak.  Bruises are nothing to fuss about._

"I think we should take Ganko home,' Tokiya said after a while.

"Iya!  I still have a test after lunch."

"I'm with Mikagami, Ganko," Recca piped in.  "You should rest.  Then later we could talk about what really happened and maybe we could come up with a solution to your problem."

"Demo…"

"No buts, young lady.  And I suppose Kaoru would want to cut class too."  Fuuko said.

"Although probably not for the 'usual' reason."  Kondo smirked.  "He just couldn't keep his hands away from Ga—"

"SHUT UP, KITSUNE, OR ELSE I'LL SHAVE YOU BALD!!!"  A red-faced Kaoru yelled only to be stopped by his 'brother'.

"All right then.  Kaoru, watch over Ganko until we fetch you.  Fuuko and I will ask permission for you two to leave campus then get Ganko's things.  Recca and Yanagi, you get Kaoru's stuff.  Domon, get the van and wait for us up front."  Tokiya threw his keys to the bruised man.  After looking at Kaoru then at Ganko, he decided to toss Kondo at Domon too, ignoring the fox's curses.  "Take him with you too."

"NANI!!!  I can't be seen with a stuffed bear.  What will the women think?"

"For the millionth time, you big gorilla, I am not a stuffed bear!!!  When will it ever register in your brain that I'm a fox!  Not a bear…a fox!!!  What am I saying?!  Of course you won't get it…you don't have no brain!!!"

The next minute was chaotic with Kondo and Domon arguing.  After all of the others left, the two teens stared at each other in an uncomfortable silence.  Their kiss had definitely changed their relationship although neither knew if it was for the better or worse.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**BABY YOU'RE MINE**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 6

_All right, Ganko.  What are you going to do now_, she asked herself for the nth time.  Five whole minutes had passed by since Fuuko-neechan and the others had left the clinic, leaving her alone with Kaoru.  Neither of them had made a single sound since then, making her wring the white blanket in anxiety.

_What is he thinking right now?  More importantly, what was _she_ thinking kissing him like that?_  Questions were occupying her thoughts.  Lots of them.  And not a single answer came.  She could not think of any maybe because her mind was too busy replaying the kiss.

To say it was pleasant was an understatement.  That kiss had to be the most exquisite thing she had ever experienced.  She had enjoyed it immensely.  Even just the thought of how his lips fit perfectly against hers could make her blush fire engine red.  And he had been gentle…as though he was afraid that he might hurt her.

The years being away from him had made her forget who he really was.  He may be cheeky and annoying on the outside but he was more than that.  Much, much more.  She had forgotten how caring he could be and how sensitive he was of other people's feelings, especially when it came to the Hokage family.

After all, had he not saved her?

Had he not made sure that she was protected at all times?

Had he not consoled her when her tears would not stop?

Had he not kissed her in order to make the painful memory go away?

Yes, she started it.  It was she who asked him to make the memory of Tsukiho's kiss go away.  He only obliged.  And when he did, she did not do anything to stop the kiss.  In fact, she wanted it.  So bad that even now she was craving for another.

She risked another peek at him only this time her gaze collided with his.  Her face flushed yet again but forced herself to not look away.  She was not embarrassed at getting caught (well, maybe just a little bit).  That was not the reason for her pink tinged cheeks.  The real reason was the way Kaoru had been looking at her ever since their kiss.

His face was bland but his eyes were different.  They had an intense glint that made Ganko's breath get stuck in her throat.

Why was he looking at her like that?

Did he think that the kiss was a mistake?

Did he think she was being forward?

God, she hoped not!  For some reason, she couldn't bear the thought of him thinking badly of her.  She was not anything like his groupies.  She hoped he realized that.  But why she wanted him to realize that, she didn't know.  A week ago she didn't give a dang about what Kaoru's opinion of her was.

What was so different now?

She didn't get to answer that question nor any of the others for that matter.  Kaoru's sudden movement caught her attention.  He shoved his hands in his pants' pockets and took a step closer to the bed.

"Anou, about what happened earlier…"

"You don't have to say anything.  It was a mistake, I know."  She didn't know where those words came from for she sure as hell did not mean them.  She frowned at them as well at his reaction to what she said.  It was as if he was disappointed.

Was he?  But why would he be?

"If you say so," he just shrugged back.

His nonchalant response made her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach.  She was disappointed, of that she was sure.  Angry tears threatened to spill as she reverted back to stare at her wringing hands.  Serve her right for letting her imagination run amok.

His hand reached out to still her movement and squeezed her hands in reassurance.  "You'd better get ready.  The others will be back any moment."

Her blond head bobbed up and down as she pulled her hand out of his grasp to brush away a tear that escaped her tightly closed lids.  No matter how hard she tried to change, she was still the same crybaby Ganko.

After taking a couple of deep breaths, she threw her legs over the edge of the bed stopping just in time to prevent herself from accidentally kicking Kaoru.  He was already kneeling on the floor, her shoes in his hands.  Wordlessly he took one of her foot and slipped it in her shoe then buckled the strap.  He did the same with her other foot.

She wanted to protest but found that she had no energy nor will to do so.  She was too tired physically, mentally and emotionally.  Besides, she kind of liked the attention that he was giving her.  She'd been independent for far too long.  Now that she had broken up shamelessly in front of him, she didn't feel like keeping everything to herself.  And she did not have to put up the strong front any longer.  She was not strong…had forgotten that it was only when she was with her family and friends that she can become strong.

"Can we…"

"Nani?"

"Can we wait for them outside?  I don't feel like staying here much longer."

He nodded silently though he reached out to help her stand up.  She didn't wait for him though.  She may like the attention that he was giving her but that didn't mean she wasn't embarrassed about it.  She didn't want to look too eager.  Side by side they walked out of the clinic, stopping briefly to tell the nurse that she was leaving.

The moment they got out of the building, Ganko hesitated.  Students were now filing out of their classrooms for lunch.  Conscious of her bruises, she reached up to hide them from view only to remember that Kaoru's bandana was wrapped loosely around her neck.  Again it struck her how thoughtful he had been.  She knew he never takes it off in public.

_His scar!_

She had found out about it years before when they were still staying at the Uruha mansion.  She accidentally stumbled upon it when she barged in her room to ask him to play with her.  He was angry at first but when her tears threatened to spill he apologized for shouting at her then proceeded to tell her about its history.

He was ashamed of that scar that was why he had it covered at all times.  He did not want to remember the physical as well as the emotional pain that accompanied it.  Ganko raised her other hand and began to unknot the cloth.  She was unsuccessful though because her fingers touched his that prevented her from doing so.

"I'm okay.  You need it more than I do right now."

"Demo…"

"Leave it be, Ganko.  I'm fine, really."

He then proceeded to intertwine his fingers with hers and squeezed his reassurance.  They started walking again, this time she noticed that people were starting to look at them weirdly.  She realized that her hand was still linked with his so she started pulling it away.

He wouldn't let her though.  As to the reason why, she had no idea but she chose not to make a big deal out of it.  This was not the time to make a scene and draw more attention to them.  So she tried very hard to ignore the stares and whispers from the growing crowd though it was very difficult to do so.  Most of the students, boys and girls alike, have their mouths hanging open in shock and envy.

She groaned inwardly.  They would surely be the main topic for today's grapevine, as well as the days after.  It would make her life more miserable than it is.  Kaoru's love struck fans would make sure of that.

_Who cares_, a voice inside her head chided.  _It's not as if you can't handle the lot of them with both hands tied behind your back.  Besides, you like holding his hand, don't you?_

_I do not_, she retorted back even though she was starting to blush from the roots of her hair to the tip of her toes.

_Yeah right!  If you don't then I dare you to pull your hand from his grasp this instant!_

Ganko shoved the annoying voice that sounded suspiciously like Kondo back to wherever it came from.  Since when had she ever worried about what her peers would think about her?  Kaoru was like her big brother so there was nothing wrong if they held hands, right?  And if he was not bothered by the attention that they were getting then why should she be?

Tokiya, Fuuko, Recca and Yanagi caught up with them halfway through the school grounds.  Ganko's face heated up a hundred degrees higher.  There was no way they could have missed their linked hands although they made no moves to acknowledge it.  Heck, even crude Recca was ignoring it.  Even as Kaoru helped her in entering the van none teased them although she was fairly sure Domon and Kondo were grinning mischievously.

_What's up with them?_

That was the last thought that entered her mind before she promptly fell asleep on her seat, vaguely aware of Kaoru's arm circling her shoulders to hold her head still on his shoulder.  When she woke up he was already carrying her up the stairs to her room.

"I can walk, you know.  You should have just woken me up."

He didn't say a word, just deposited her on the bed and left the room to let Fuuko help her change into pajamas.  The moment the older girl left the room to prepare her lunch Kaoru went back in to see if everything was in order.

"I'm fine, really I am.  I just wish everyone would stop babying me."  Her reply to his inquiry was a bit rough.  She instantly regretted it as soon as the words came out.

"We're just worried about you, Ganko.  I know you could take care of yourself but you don't have to do everything alone.  We're family and family helps each other out."  He made a move to the door only to be stopped.

"Kaoru," she paused, unsure of what to say, "I'm sorry…and thank you."  He nodded briefly, his brown eyes showing his reluctance to leave.

"Kaoru," she called out again, "could you…could you stay here until I fall asleep?"

"All right."  He dragged the beanbag closer to her bed and unceremoniously dropped on it.  She turned on her side, facing him, reaching into a pleasant slumber almost immediately.

(B/N:  Okay, who's suffering from diabetes right now?  Hehehe.  My computer's full of bugs already.  An army of ants got attracted to all of the fluff.)

~Scene Change~

Fuuko balanced a tray of food effortlessly as she walked up the stairs.  It contained lots of food Yanagi had managed to whip up at short notice.  The two teens upstairs had been through a lot lately and deserved some kind of special treatment.  And rest…when was the last time either of them had a decent sleep?

She rounded the corner and was greeted by Tokiya.  He went earlier to check up on the two.  He shook his head at her which meant that Kaoru and Ganko had probably dozed off.

He took the tray from her and placed it atop the hallway table.  Fuuko couldn't help but sigh in relief not because she no longer bore the weight of the tray but because they had one less problem to deal with.  Ganko was finally sleeping.

"Everything's starting to get better," Tokiya followed her to the end of the hallway, stopping to look out of the window too.  "It seems the two are getting along quite well."

"I'm glad.  It breaks my heart every time I see her suffering like that.  It's not right to keep everything inside.  The pain would only eat her up alive."

"I know."

"Of course you'll know.  Sometimes I think she got that 'leave me alone, I can handle everything' attitude from you."

"She probably did.  That's why I thought it best for you to move back here.  If there's anyone who could bring her out of her shell, it would have to be someone from Hokage."

"Are you talking from experience?" she smiled slyly at him.

His response was a raised eyebrow although one corner of his mouth twitched upwards in a lame attempt to smile.  He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back against his chest then placed his chin atop her head.  They stared outside for a while in silence, savoring the peace of mind that rarely came to them since Ganko started having those nightmares.

"Our only problem now is how to get rid of that ghost," Fuuko said after a while.

"We'll find a way.  Kagerou-san will be able to find a madougu that could help.  And with Kurei's assistance they would surely come up with a solution."

"But what if there's no madougu that could kill it?  What would we do then?"

"Don't borrow trouble, love," he kissed the top of her head then proceeded to escort her back down.  "We've been through a lot to let a dead man get the better of us.  We'll get through this, you'll see."

They stopped briefly to peek at the two.  Kaoru was curled on the beanbag, one arm thrown over the bed, his hand securely tucked underneath Ganko's.  Quietly they retreated and started to walk away with the tray.

"You're quiet," Tokiya observed.  "What's going on in that devious mind of yours?"

"Nothing so devious.  I just hope they don't make it a habit sleeping together in one room."

"Why not?"

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow at him.

To be continued…

**BISHLOV:**  And there you have it folks…a tiny pinch of ToFuu mush (though it wasn't as mushy as Kaoru and Ganko's).  If you wanna read some serious ToFuu then I suggest you read my **"No Angel"** fic.  I'm pretty proud of it maybe that's why I'm shamelessly plugging it.  And now that I had gotten all the sap out of my system (hopefully!) the real action might begin in the next chapter (hopefully again!).  Keep your fingers crossed so that I may come up with a decent action packed chapter.  Gah!  This is such a tough fic to write!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR REVIEWS!!!


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**BABY YOU'RE MINE**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 7

Tokiya and Fuuko went back to the kitchen and were greeted by the usual rowdy scene.  Recca, Domon and Kondo (despite his lack of functional digestive system) were begging Yanagi to feed them some more.  Yanagi, on the other hand, kept swatting their hands away from Tokiya and Fuuko's food with a ladle.  The squabble stopped once they realized that the two had returned.

"Oh my, they didn't eat anything?" Yanagi exclaimed.  Unbeknownst to all, Kondo had snuck past Fuuko and grabbed the tray of untouched food from Tokiya.  He did nothing to stop the kitsune but Recca wasn't as forgiving.

"Oi!  Oi!  Come back with that food, baka, or I'll turn you into a pile of ash," Recca yelled as he chased after Kondo to the other room.  Domon, taking advantage of the chaos, inched towards the table.  But he misjudged Yanagi's alertness so all he got was a tall bump rising from his Mohawk due to a hard swat of the now bent ladle.

"Itai!"

"Serves you right," Fuuko muttered as she sat by the table.

"How are they doing?" Yanagi asked.

"They're asleep.  At least that's one less worry," she answered back, trying hard to ignore Domon's wail but it seemed it was only getting louder.  "What the heck is your problem, baka?!"

Domon sniffed as a river of tears fell from his eyes.  "Our Kaoru and Ganko are both so grown-up now...sleeping together.  Lucky guy!  Ne, Fuuko-chan, do you remember those memorable times when we slept to—"

"URUSEI, HENTAI!  AND DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME CHAN!"

"ITAI!!!"  Another bump rose behind the first one making him look like something that escaped from Jurassic Park.  He moved away from Fuuko but tripped on Tokiya's leg that was oh-so-conveniently blocking his path.  He was about to collide with the backdoor but unfortunately for him Kurei opened it from the outside.

So what's a flame caster to do when a gorilla's about to collide with him in a rather _queer_ way?

"Oi, Oniichan, Okaasan.  Okaeri."  Recca came back to the kitchen, chewing on a chicken bone.  He stepped over a charred, horned Domon to assist his brother and mother with the various scrolls they were carrying.

"So did you find something," Fuuko eagerly asked.  Kagerou and Kurei had been away all these time researching about a madougu that they could use against Tsukiho.  She couldn't help but feel hopeful with all of those texts they brought home.

"Maybe, maybe not."  The older flame caster sat opposite her and assumed his usual cross-legged position.

"Stop baiting us, Kurei.  We don't have much time.  That jerk is getting bolder in his moves.  Do you have something or not?"

"We're still not sure, Fuuko-chan," Kagerou answered calmly.  "There's no point in raising your hopes only to have them crashing down."

"We only found one madougu that could possibly serve our purpose."  He grabbed a scroll and unrolled it on the unoccupied portion of the kitchen table.  Tokiya, Recca, Fuuko and Yanagi perched to read the ancient text.  Domon was still twitching on the floor.

"Spirit ball?"  They all read in unison.

"Hai.  It's a psychic device that is capable of sucking in souls."

"I haven't seen this device before but I have heard of it," Kagerou added.  "It literally sucks the life out of a person in order to give its wielder additional strength and power."

"It is such an evil device that most texts say that the Hokage had it destroyed even before Nobunaga's invasion."  It was Kurei's turn to talk.

"You mean the only madougu that could save Ganko might not even be existent anymore?!"  Fuuko cried out indignantly.  Tokiya had to push her back down on her seat and rubbed her shoulder to help her calm down.

"Is that true, 'kaasan?"

"I'm not sure, Recca, but as far as I know none of the madougu were destroyed before Hokage was disbanded."

"Then we're at a dead end," Tokiya muttered.

"Not entirely," Kagerou hesitated for a minute.  She wasn't sure if she should divulge any of Hokage's secrets.  It's not as if she didn't trust these kids but if words reach the ears of evil people, people with the likes of Koran Mori, then chaos would surely break.

"What is it, 'kaasan?"

The pleading look on her son's face did her in.  He truly cared for the young ones even if he would rather be caught dead than say it out loud.  "There _is_ something my master told me but you must promise that this knowledge wouldn't leave this room."

Everybody nodded then looked at Kurei in unison.  "Yare yare, don't look at me like that.  I have no desire getting involved in illegal activities anymore, not those concerning any madougu that is.  You have Uruha's word that the secret would stay safe."

"Very well.  I remember my master telling me that all forbidden arts of the Hokage were confiscated and stored in a cave somewhere near the village.  No one was allowed in there except for the okashira and the elders."

"So you think the Spirit Ball is hidden there?"  Kurei, as usual, was the first to react.

"That's my guess.  If not then it must have been destroyed or worse."

"We'll start there.  We'll worry about its other possible whereabouts if we won't find it in the forbidden cave.  Raiha!"

Suddenly the raijin wielder appeared from the shadows at the other side of the room, mindful not to step on the rousing Domon.  It was a common occurrence, he or any other remaining member of Uruha popping out of nowhere to do their master's bidding.  But still that didn't stop Recca and the others to sweatdrop and feel a bit unnerved.

"Yes, Kurei-sama," Raiha bowed low to the other guy.

"You heard what Kagerou-san said.  Gather the others and search for the madougu," Kurei ordered then tossed him a scroll that has a sketch of the psychic device.  "Don't take anything else.  And be wary of traps.  No doubt that the place will be filled with them."

"Yes, Kurei-sama."  He took a step backwards and merged with the shadows again, causing the others to sweatdrop some more.  How he did that was beyond them, not that they wanted to know anyways.

"Even if we do get the psychic device, there are still some obstacles," Kurei spoke up again.  "One is we don't know how it works.  It might take more than just Tsukiho's soul but ours as well assuming that it hasn't been used for centuries.  Its thirst may be too strong.  Another problem is that we don't know if it will work with a wandering soul.  Most of the texts describe that the Spirit Ball works by stealing the soul from a live body."

"I see what you mean," Tokiya piped in.  "Tsukiho's body had long since festered.  Not to mention that we can't tell if he's around, not unless he makes his presence known.  By the time we could use the madougu it may already be too late."

"Well since he's after Ganko then isn't it logical to let her have the Spirit Ball so that she'd be ready when he attacks?"  Fuuko said.

"It may be logical but is it wise," Recca followed.  "She may not be able to handle such a powerful and dangerous device.  I'm pretty sure that she would need physical and mental strength in order to handle it."

Not about to be left out from the conversation, Yanagi decided to do what she does best—cheer everybody up.  "Ne, minna-san, don't be too pessimistic.  At least we're going somewhere.  We'll handle the obstacles as they come.  In the meantime, how about some strawberry shortcake...EEP!!!"

At the mention of food, Domon grabbed the nearest thing that could support his rise.  Unfortunately for him (again) that 'nearest thing' was Yanagi's tush.

Poor Domon.  It seemed like he would need to get to a veterinarian quick.  Or maybe he should just report Recca and the others to the local animal rights group.  After all, gorillas were endangered species.

~Scene Change~

Tsukiho stood across the street and watched the house in disgust.  After his little fun with the girl, he left to calm his anger.  When he got back to her classroom she was no longer there.  He had glided from one part of her school to another, trying to catch her aura but it wasn't there.  Next he went to the apartment she shared with her sister but much to his irritation neither she nor the pathetic excuse for a puppet was there.

_Where could she be?_

He had always been a patient man even when he was still alive.  Evil but, nevertheless, patient.  He could have just killed the girl in that alley once he realized where she placed the Kata Kugutsu but unfortunately she used it on a canine doll of all things.  He abhorred dogs of any kind.  And she paired the madougu with another device, making it much stronger.

He had to retreat that afternoon, telling himself that it wasn't because of his fear of dogs that made him do so.  He wanted to think of a nice strategy to retrieve the devices so he decided to play with her in the meantime.

What he didn't count on was that he became obsessed with the girl.  His desire to have her for himself was overwhelming.  The spunky girl was his possession as well as the madougu in her care.  She was his to play with and he did not want her to be preoccupied by thoughts of someone else.

Imagine his ire when he found out that his little Ganko was harboring a secret crush on that monkey boy.  So secret, in fact, that he was fairly sure that the girl herself didn't realize her affection.  That was what almost made him kill her.  Cold fury running through his veins where his blood used to flow though he didn't let any of the jealousy display in his attack.

_Ganko is mine and no one else is going to have her._

If given a chance he would have guarded what's his night and day.  But he couldn't.  Just because he was dead didn't mean that he couldn't perish.  He could feel himself weakening.  The energy left in his soul was fast diminishing due to his wandering.  He had to rest so as to conserve that energy that supported his existence.  He was capable of 'haunting' for an hour, two at most.  It was not enough time to torment his Ganko, least of all steal the madougu from her.

He needed a body…and fast!  His energy would not be able to support him much longer—probably a week at most.  Even less so now since he used a considerable amount of strength trying to find the girl's whereabouts.

After an hour of searching he sensed her aura in this large house.  He did not know who owned the place but he was pretty sure that the owner was one of her old friends.

That was another problem.  She was constantly around these people nowadays.  Having tapped in her memory at every opportunity he could, he knew that these people were powerful ninjas.  Hokage ninjas headed by not just one but two flame casters.  Though they could not touch him since he was a ghost, he knew that it would not hold them back.  They protect their own and Ganko was definitely regarded as one of their kind.

Nevertheless, they would not stop me from getting the girl and the devices.  Time to visit Ganko…

He floated across the street, ignoring the cars and the people that passed through his translucent body.  At first, it had irritated him but as time passed he realized the advantage of being nothing more than air to live humans.  One was being able to walk in a room full of noisy idiots without being detected.  He gave these people a sneer before leaving to follow the girl's aura.

Once he reached outside her room, he peeked in by passing his head through the door.  What he saw made him growl quietly in fury.  He quickly went in and stood there, transfixed by anger.  The monkey boy was half on the girl's bed, an arm thrown possessively around her waist.

_Nobody touches my Ganko!  Nobody!_

He glided across the room and stood in front of the boy's sleeping form.  He began to reach out in order to insert his hand through his skull.  He could manipulate dreams this way and he was planning on giving him a nice beating and scare.  His hand touched his forehead and was about to go through but was stopped when the door suddenly opened.

Hanging onto the turned knob was the stuffed kitsune.  Tsukiho straightened mostly because of fright.  Sure the fox was just a fluffy doll but it was capable of transforming into a live one.  He watched warily as the doll dropped on its stubby feet and stared suspiciously around the room.

_He can sense me!_

Tsukiho started to back away but accidentally dropped his gaze back on the boy.  Anger and possessiveness instantly overrode fear.  _He will pay for trying to steal my Ganko._

Before he could change his mind, he quickly went to the kitsune who was still trying to find out what was amiss.  Closing his eyes from such an ugly sight, Tsukiho bent down and hugged the doll.  Within a second, he disappeared into the doll's body.  He would rather possess any other puppet but the kitsune would have to do.  Another second later, Kondo's black button eyes flashed white signaling the ghost's total control of his body.

It has begun.  Soon, Ganko, you will give me what I want.  You will be mine, count on it.

To be continued…

**BISHLOV'S NOTES:**

Lame chapter, ne?  Gasp!  IT'S THE ATTACK OF THE KILLER WRITER'S BLOCK!!!  

I know I had been in hiatus for I can't remember since when but I can't help it.  So very sorry!!!  I just simply don't know what to do with this.  Well, I have a very rough idea on how to go about but I won't make any promises when I'd be able to post another chapter.  Perhaps some of you could inspire me *hint hint*.

Anyways, if you want to receive email notifications when I had the next chappie up then please leave your email addy and I'll add you to my mailing list.  If you had been receiving notices but want me to stop bugging you then kindly tell me so (and leave your addy so I could delete it from the list).

Until next time then (hopefully soon…keep your fingers crossed)!!!


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**BABY YOU'RE MINE**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 8

Ganko woke up just as the sun was setting in the west.  The room was starting to darken and was dimly illuminated by the glow of the street lamp through the open window.  She felt refreshed, the most she ever did for a long time now.  She sat up and stretched a little, noticing immediately that her hand was linked with Kaoru's.

She gave it a small squeeze before gently easing out of bed.  After giving him one last look, she went to the window seat and stared outside.  The past weeks had been unreal for her.  Her whole life had gone topsy-turvy just because of one ghost.  If she told this to anyone outside the Hokage gang then she'd surely be sent to a mental asylum with straightjacket and all.  But so far her mind was not on her supernatural problem but on the guy drooling on her bed.

_Kaoru._  No longer could she bring herself to call him brother like she did as a child.  Especially feeling this way about him.  The past couple of days had made her realize that she felt more for the cheeky Anki master.  She liked him...a lot.

The thought should give her the chills but it did not.  Instead, thinking of him in a non-sibling way made her all warm and tingly on the inside.  She never thought that the day would come when she, Ganko Kirisawa (previously Morikawa), would develop a crush on Kaoru Koganei.  It was all Megumi's fault for putting such thought in her head.  Now she didn't know how to act in front of him especially after that kiss.

Ganko's hand involuntarily went to her lips.  When she realized what she was doing she wrapped her arms around her raised knees and clasped her hands together.  She didn't know what to think anymore.

Why did he kiss her?

Why did he insist in holding her hand?

Why was he being so sweet to her?

Why did she feel so comfortable and safe when he was with her?

Why did she like it when he held her hand?

Why did she kiss him back?

_Because I love him._

The answer was so simple that it had rendered her speechless even if she wasn't speaking at all.

Even before, she had loved him but had mistaken it for sisterly affection.  That was why she was so hurt when he didn't kept contact when she was away.  And that was why his groupies irritate the heck out of her.  Not that she was jealous or anything because she knew those ditz didn't mean anything to him.  They irritate her because they could freely express their adoration to him whereas she could only do that from afar lest he noticed.

And she would still do that—love him from afar.  She didn't need any other complications right now especially if he didn't feel the same way for her.  Somehow she knew that it would devastate her.  She broke her line of vision from the star filled sky to gaze at his sleeping form.  Unfortunately he was no longer sleeping and was staring back at her.  Their cheeks reddened at the same time but went unnoticed due to the darkness of the room.

"You're awake."  _Duh.  Nice one, Ganko._

"Aa.  How do you feel?"

"Better, I guess," she said as she looked outside again.  Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched Kaoru stand up and stretch his lithe form, all the while admired how his shirt clung to his frame.  She hid her blushing face from view since he was walking towards her.

They stayed that way for some time—her sitting in the window seat and him standing beside her.  The night was clear and the street was quiet.  A few people passed by, coming home from work or walking their dogs.  Cars drove by just as quietly.  "It looks peaceful, ne Kaoru?"

"Aa."  But he wasn't looking outside, she noticed.  Instead he was gazing at her.  She blushed again but this time she did not look away.  She never realized how beautiful his golden brown eyes looked against the pale moonlight.

"Kaoru," came her whispered reply as he reached and tipped her chin.  Her breath was stuck in her throat as he leaned over closer...and closer...and closer...

Flash!

Just then the overhead lights were turned on and they had to blink back at its brightness.  They turned their heads in unison to the door and saw a grinning stuffed kitsune holding a broomstick.  "Correct me if I'm wrong but don't desserts come after dinner?"

They jumped away from each other at those teasing words (actually Kaoru did the jumping while Ganko hid her face again).  The boy glared at Kondo while the kitsune gave him a knowing smirk.  "Oi!  Don't look at me like I'm some kind of party pooper.  Fuuko sent me to tell you that supper's ready.  _Then_ you can go back to your dessert hehehe."

A throw pillow smacked right on the kitsune's face.  Such an apt name for a thing.  Kaoru walked past the fallen fox then turned back to look at Ganko.

"Go on ahead.  I still have to change," she said.

He nodded his head in understanding then wordlessly closed the door.  She let out a sigh but she didn't know if it was a sigh of relief or disappointment.  He was going to kiss her.  Again!  Surely that meant something?

"Your face is gonna get stuck that way if you keep on grinning like that."

"Keh!  That coming from someone who grins day in, day out."  She picked up Kondo and dumped him on her bed then proceeded to cover him with her blanket so he won't be able to see her changing clothes.  Not that he hasn't seen any of her body parts before.  She had practiced this type of modesty ever since puberty started.

"What do you expect?  I'm a stuffed toy.  I'm sewn that way.  Any way I open my mouth it always ends up looking like a grin."  He struggled underneath the bedding.  By the time he reached the edge of the blanket Ganko was already dressed.

"Ne, Kondo?  Do you think Kaoru likes me?"

"He'd be a fool if he doesn't."

"You're just saying that."

"No I'm not.  Jeez!  I'd walked on you guys doing _very_ friendly acts twice already.  How many proofs do you need?"

"But he hasn't said anything."

"Have you?"

"No..."

"Then maybe you should stop bugging me."  He jumped off the bed and started waddling to the door.

"Ano Kondo..."

"What?!!"

"Are you okay?  You seem to be acting weird."

"I'm fine.  I just don't feel right inside."

"Eh?"  Question marks popped over Ganko's head.

"I can't explain it.  I just feel weird inside."  For a moment the kitsune looked serious and then a second later he was back grinning like an idiot.  "Come on.  You don't want to keep lover boy waiting.  You still have that dessert to go back to."

"NANI!!!"

~Next day~

They went to school earlier than usual to miss the rush of students but it seemed like everybody else had the same idea.  The school ground was already littered with students of all levels, all of whom were staring at them.  Ganko tried to act as nonchalant as Kaoru but the way the others were staring at them and following their every move was unnerving.

"Ganko-chan!  Kaoru-sempai!  Ohayo gozaimasu!"

"Ohayo, Megumi-chan," Ganko greeted back to her friend who had just rushed out of the school building to meet them.  "You're early.  And so is everybody else for that matter.  Did the school move the classes earlier?"

"Iie," the other girl shook her head in response.

"Then why..."

"They came here to see you guys and I came here early to warn you off."

"Eh?  Warn us about what?"

"That!"  Megumi pointed at the crowd that was heading their way.  The mob was composed of boys (Ganko's brave admirers while some were Kaoru's queer admirers) and girls (Kaoru's usual groupies) alike.  It was no surprise that the person leading the group was Meiling, the high priestess of the Koganei Cult.

"What's going on here?" Ganko demanded.

"I should ask you the same question, little girl."  Meiling always emphasized the point that she was younger than most of them thus had no right to be cozy with an upperclassman especially someone as famous as Kaoru.

"Ah, but I asked you first."  Ganko could barely hide her amusement.

"Eh?  Oh yeah...right, right...you did," she responded after the sweatdropping guy beside her nudged her with an elbow.  She got distracted, drooling at Kaoru who looked rather cute with a scowl.  "We came here to demand an explanation.  What have you done to our Koganei, you witch?!"

After that chaos broke loose.  All of them started to ask questions at the same time and there were arguments on who stole whom.  Ganko could only sweatdrop and turn to Megumi for an explanation.

"Er, you see, rumors started to spread after what happened to you.  It started innocent enough, you know, about the CPR but at the end of an hour there were various versions already.  I believe the worst one was about you and Kaoru-sempai making out at the back of the class during the film showing."

"NANI!!!"  Ganko's eyes nearly popped out in disbelief.  Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Kaoru's mouth twitching up in one corner.  The abominable guy was absolutely enjoying this!  She would have knocked him senseless but had to turn her attention back to her friend.

"And then it got worse because some kids saw you two holding hands.  That's why they're here.  They want to know if something's up between you two."

"Demo..."

"URUSEI!!!"  Meiling called a halt to the chaos then latched herself to Kaoru's arm, much to the irritation of Ganko's twitching eye.  "Koganei-sempai, the rumors aren't true, are they?  You wouldn't leave us for her.  Tell them she's not your girlfriend."

Kaoru's next move surprised them all, including Ganko.  He shrugged off Meiling's grasp and wrapped an arm around Ganko's waist then pulled her closer to his side.  "Gomen ne, minna-san.  It would be best if you left us be from now on."  And as if to emphasize his point, he kissed the top of Ganko's glossy head then led her away.

She looked back and saw the crowd turn into stone statues, so shocked were they of the news.  Her face turned red from anger.  She dragged him in the next room, which turned out to be a broom closet then slammed it shut.  "WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU THINKING?  DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID?"

"I just got rid of nuisances," he shrugged as he leaned on an unoccupied wall.

"No...You just made matters worse.  Do you have any idea what those girls could do to me?"

"Keh!  It's not as if you can't handle them blindfolded.  That's not the real reason why you're so upset, is it?"

"Of course it is!  What else could there be?"

"You tell me."

Why indeed?  It was true she was not upset because she was worried of her safety and reputation.  She was upset because she liked the idea of being his girlfriend too much.  She was upset because this was just a pretend game.  Another means of entertainment for him.  But was it just a whim?

"Why did you really do it," she asked him, searching his eyes for some emotions.

"It's as I said.  It would be best for them and for us.  With them not bothering us we won't be distracted and I could protect you better.  At the same time we're preventing any mishap that could happen if Tsukiho attacks again.  He's getting bolder and the others might get caught in the crossfire."

She sighed both in relief and disappointment.  It did make sense, what he just said, but she could not help but wish that there were more personal reasons.  "Okay I'll go along with your pretend game but don't get too fresh with me.  I'll throttle you so good you won't be able to distinguish pretend from reality."

"Is that a promise?"  He gave her that cheeky grin then opened the door for her.  "After you, my love."

Her heart skipped a bit at the endearment but scowled all the same.  It was not real.  It was just make-believe.  It was just wishful thinking.

He took her bag and carried it for her, not giving her time to protest.  He dropped his arm on her shoulder and weaved them through the crowd of stupefied students.

Yes, she could get used to this.  She ignored that little voice that warned her not to enjoy the game too much.

She might end up losing.

To be continued...

**BISHLOV:**  Ack!  I know, I know!  It's getting too fluffy even for me.  Sorry for those who were itching for action but I had to give Raiha and the others some time to get the Spirit Ball so this is what I thought up at a moment's notice.  Hehehe.  Even I don't know what's going to happen next (well more or less).

Flame me if you wanna as long as they're constructive.  If you don't wanna flame then any type of review would do.  I just want to hear from you.  Gah!  I hate it when I rhyme.  Responses to reviews for chapter 7 are in my email notification.  Kissy thanks!!!


	9. Chapter 9

**BISHLOV:**  This took me two weeks and a half to write and it still didn't turn out the way I wanted.  Sorry in advance.  But still it's longer than the previous chapters.  That's a bit of a consolation, ne?  Oh, and OOC warning is up (*snort* like it hasn't been up since chapter one).  Responses to reviews are in my email.

This chapter is dedicated to the many cups of coffee that I drank for the past month.  ENJOY!

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**BABY YOU'RE MINE**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 9

Over a week had passed and Kaoru was still floating in cloud nine.  He and Ganko were officially dubbed as _the_ couple.  Boys and girls alike envied them and didn't stop bugging the two until the third day of the charade.  They couldn't believe it.  They wouldn't believe it.  Nothing could convince them.  Not the handholding.  Not the mushy looks he'd been giving Ganko.  Not their super glued closeness.

He knew that only one thing could convince their seething fans.  So when he picked her up after the last class Friday afternoon, he did that 'thing' despite the life threatening risks.

He kissed Ganko on the lips in front of her classmates (and others).

It was just a light brush of lips.  No pressure but equally breathless.  Ganko's face turned red.  The audience's faces turned white.  All of them were suddenly immobile.  He had to drag her through the crowd at first because she was too shocked.  But by the time they were outside the building, he knew that she was furious.

And that was why such an act was life threatening.  Not because there could be an angry mob but because there would be an angry Ganko.  When they got home to her apartment, she gave him a whopper of a punch.  One that he wouldn't forget anytime soon, not unless that bump on his head went down.  Fortunately for him it wasn't that visible because of his spiky hair.

Ever since then he did not dare kiss her in public.  There was no need to anyway for the entire student body was convinced that their so-called relationship was real.  Heck!  Even Kaoru himself was convinced that it was real.  It was only during the night that he falls down from cloud nine and it was always a hard fall.

Though this game may not be pretend to him, it may just be one to her.

He wanted to believe that the past week had been real.  And most of the time he did believe it.  Who could blame him?  Ganko was such a good actress.  She acted so sweet to him when there was a crowd and sometimes even when they were alone.  Not that he was complaining or anything.  Though he couldn't help but wonder if this was as real to her as it was for him.

_Nah!  It couldn't be...could it?_

He sneaked a look at the reclined form beside him.  It was midnight and they spent most of the evening training with an occasional pause to rest and get some homework done.  Right now they were sprawled on the warehouse's roof, gazing at the stars.

She looked so peaceful.  Her cute face showed a variety of emotions even though he knew that she was trying not to show them.  She had always been an open book to him.  Unfortunately there were pages that he couldn't read.

Like chapter 8, pages 120 to 141—What Ganko's ideas of a perfect guy for her are.

Or chapter 11, pages 193 to 215—Ganko's love life.  Had she ever been in love?

And of course there was chapter 17, pages 293 to 307—What Ganko's opinions of Kaoru are...brother, friend or boyfriend?

Oh why couldn't he just put himself out of his own misery and fess up already?  He kept on telling himself that her life was complicated enough as it was.  She didn't need the additional bother of making a _real_ relationship work out.  That is, _if_ she responds positively to his confession of undying love.

But that was the real problem, wasn't it?  Whether or not she would return his love?  He was scared of rejection.  He could take it if any other girl would reject him (not that there were any sane girls out there who would do so).  But Ganko was not just 'any other girl'.  She was his first and most definitely only love.  No matter how mushy it sounded, it was the truth.  Looking at her now, he could feel his heart pound against his chest at her sheer innocent beauty then slowly calmed down in his contentment to stay like this all night.  He watched her facial expression turn from a small secretive smile to a pouty frown.

"What's bothering you, Ganko?"  _I'll fix it for you, I promise._

"Hm?"  She briefly glanced his way once then went back to gazing at the dark sky.

"You're too quiet."

"And that's unusual?"

"Heck, yeah!  You've become as noisy as Fuuko ever since Hong Kong."

At the sad look on her face, Kaoru mentally cursed himself.  It was a silent agreement between them that the topic was off limits.  He didn't want to explain his actions (or lack thereof) while she didn't care about his explanations (or it seemed like she didn't).  But that was then.  He didn't want to see that sad look on her face.  He'd rather she be angry with him than see her sad.

"Ano...about that...I didn't write because..."

"It doesn't matter anymore," Ganko interrupted before he could go on.

"Of course it does matter," he almost yelled.  "It would have mattered even if I didn't have a reason.  It was a rotten thing to do.  And I do have a reason."

There was silence for a couple of minutes as Kaoru waited for her response.  Would she give him a chance or was she too angry to give him one?  He could take the anger any time but not the indifference.

"Alright, tell me your lame excuse," came her edgy response.

_Not so indifferent after all._  He almost grinned in relief but of course didn't.  He knew she found his grins annoying.  He stared back at the stars, telling himself that it was because he was getting a crick on his neck and not because he was too much of a coward to see her reaction.

"You were getting too dependent on us and it was wrong, you know.  Having a madougu is like being cursed.  Danger would always come to us and I won't always be there to protect you.  I figured that you could use your free time and irritation towards me to train harder and you did."  He risked looking at her and saw her grimacing.

"I was right.  That's such a lame excuse.  It's stupid of you to think that I would train any less harder if you would send even the briefest call or note."  She raised herself on an elbow and threw an accusing glare at him.  "So tell me, if you thought that I'm such a burden then why are you even here?  You could be at home in bed or maybe out on a date with one of your ditzy fans.  If you thought that my being dependent is such a bad thing then why do you follow me night and day?"

How could he answer that without admitting his feelings?  Should he?  Maybe he should but he chose not to.  Initial reason still standing: he chose not to complicate her life any further by giving her a love she probably wouldn't even return.  When he didn't answer back, he saw for a brief moment a hurt look but then was instantly replaced by a glare.

He sighed in frustration and then got up to follow her inside.  She could really move fast when angry.  Two minutes later he was still chasing after her.  "I never said you were a burden, Ganko!  I just said you were too dependent."

"Well, who asked you to be my protector anyways?  I certainly didn't," she turned around to give a heated yell.  "And maybe I was dependent but I'm not anymore!  I can take care of myself so you could go to Papua New Guinea for all I care!"

"Ganko...baby..."

"DON'T YOU CALL ME THAT!!!"  It made her remember that he was only doing this because Fuuko and Tokiya ordered him to.  That endearment which he so frequently used in school was as hollow as his desire to be with her.  He was just forced to.

"I told you we should have just waited outside."

Kaoru and Ganko turned to look at the source of the slightly loud whisper.  Standing at the middle of the ground floor were Tokiya, Fuuko and Kondo.  It was Fuuko who spoke while Tokiya just looked up at them with a contained amused smirk.  Of course, Kondo was not as reserved as they were.

"NYAHAHAHAHA!  LOOKS LIKE THE LOVEBIRDS ARE HAVING THEIR FIRST QUARREL.  WHAT DID YOU DO, KOGANEI?  DON'T TELL ME YOU'VE CHEATED ON HER ALREADY?"

"URUSEI!"  Kaoru shouted back then followed Ganko over the railing.  They jumped from the upper level to the ground floor then walked toward the others with a wide gap between them.

"What are you doing here?"  Ganko asked, trying her best to ignore the monkey behind her.

"Oh, we just wanted to check that you two weren't doing anything kids shouldn't do like se..."

Kaoru gave the fox a withering scowl.

"...elling pirated cds ehehehe."  (B/N: Lame, I know.)

"That's enough, Kondo," Tokiya ordered and the fox followed.  The plushy found out long ago that going against the Ensui master's wishes was not a wise thing to do.  One wrong move and his seams would automatically tear open.  Of course Kaoru's Kougan Anki posed the same threat but the boy wasn't bright enough to realize that yet.

"Recca and the others are going to meet us here.  The Uruha are back with the madougu.  They should be here any minute now."

As soon as Fuuko said those words they heard sounds coming from the darkest corner of the building.  Kagerou appeared from the shadows with Yanagi, Kurei led Recca while Raiha was carrying a twirly-eyed Domon behind his back @.@

"That was so cool 'niichan!  Can we go through that wormhole again?  Can we, huh, can we?" said the chibi Recca sounding like a kid in an amusement park.

"Idiot," Kurei muttered with a sweatdrop.  "Dang it, Recca!  If you don't stop yanking on my arm I swear I'll burn you to a crisp!"

"Consider yourself lucky, Kurei-sama.  Tell you what, I'll handle your brother while you handle this gorilla."  Raiha hoisted the overgrown baby higher on his back.

"Er, no thanks.  Just drop him.  How that sissy got out alive from the tournament is beyond me."

And so Domon was unceremoniously dropped among the pile of broken limbs from Ganko's training mannequins.  No sounds of protests were heard from the still dizzy man.  That must have been one heck of a trip.  It was a good thing he didn't throw up all over the bishounen raijin wielder.

"Let's get this over with.  I need my sleep."  Kurei nodded at Raiha once they reached where Ganko and the others were standing.

Raiha reached inside his ninja suit and procured a small rusty metal cube the size of a ring box.  "It was hidden at the deepest end of the cave and had more than ten traps surrounding it.  That was why it took us this long to get it.  Joker and I didn't get much help from Neon because she broke a nail and sulked the whole time."

"Ne, Kurei-niichan, I thought you said it was a Spirit _Ball_.  That doesn't look like a ball to me."  Kaoru pointed out, obtaining a whack on the head from the flame caster.

"Baaa-ka.  That's the casing.  The madougu is inside."  Kurei replied.

"Apparently, the Hokage elders thought the Spirit Ball was such a powerful device and locked it in that box," Kagerou added.

Kaoru took the cube from Raiha and observed it closely then shook it near his ear.  Ganko forgot her earlier anger to Kaoru due to curiosity and went to his side.

"How do we use it?" she asked.

"Forget how we could use it.  We should first find out how we could open it," Kaoru said as he rolled the cube from one side to another, looking for a latch or opening.

"We don't know how to open it," Kurei shrugged.  "We figured since you're the genius when it comes to puzzles you'd be able to open it."

"But I think Ganko's right," Fuuko butted in.  "What if you do find out how to open it and as soon as it's opened it could suck in our souls or something.  We should at least know how it works first."

"No I think Kaoru's..."

"No Ganko..."

Everybody started to talk all at once except for the teens.  The two looked at each other with big fat sweatdrops hanging on their heads.

"Ne, Kaoru, this sounds like that 'who came first—the chicken or egg' riddle." she whispered to him.

"Aa," he whispered back.  By then all hell broke loose and nothing could be seen except a big cloud of dust and occasional swinging arms and legs.  Kaoru grabbed Ganko's hand and inched themselves away from the chaos.

Several bloody noses and broken limbs later, the gang stopped arguing and realized that the two were missing.  They looked around and found them in one of the many storerooms.  All of them (yup, including Raiha, Kurei and Kagerou) crowded against the wall and eavesdropped through the slightly open door.

"Are you sure about this?"  Ganko asked.

"Shh.  Keep it down.  They might hear you.  Help me take my shirt off."  Kaoru replied then the sound of clothes being discarded was heard.

The gang's eyes grew wide in disbelief but still they gave the two the benefit of the doubt.

"Hold this, Ganko, while I get..."

"I don't think this is going to work.  It's too long and too big."  There was a tinge of worry in her voice as well as excitement.

"Do you want to do this with me or not?"

"Well yes but..."

"Good.  Do you want to wrap it or should I?"

"You do it.  Make sure it's snug okay?  And do it fast and hard."

 "Okay, stay still or you might get hurt.  Just tell me if you want to stop.  Brace yourself, baby, here I come."

"IYAAA!!!"  Yanagi's conservative mind just had about enough.  The rest of the gang fell to the floor through the open door in a tumbled heap.

"Aha!  I never thought you had it in you, Koganei," Recca stood up and pointed at Kaoru with a mischievous grin.  A grin that fell when he realized who had the hentai mind.

The two stared at the others with question marks all over their heads.  Kaoru was not as naked as the others thought him to be nor was Ganko for that matter.  They were standing a few feet away from each other with his shirt bundled between them on the floor.  He was still wearing all of his clothes, save his shirt and was holding a 'long and big' stick poised over the bundle.

"Er, hey guys!"  Ganko greeted.

"What have you two been up to," Fuuko demanded, quite relieved that her imouto's innocence wasn't compromised.

"Well, you see, we wanted to find out if we could smash the box open."

"Smash the..." Kagerou sent a reproving look to Kaoru and Ganko then took the box from within the bundled shirt.  "Kids these days don't know how to respect a madougu."

Tokiya reinforced her words by giving Kaoru a noogie.  "Nobody's smashing or opening anything.  Not until we find out how it works.  Obviously its size is not to be underestimated.  It's too dangerous to use the Spirit Ball just yet."

"But we don't have much time!"

Everybody looked at Ganko because of her sudden outburst.  "He'll be back soon.  He always comes back after a week."

"Ganko..." Kaoru went to try to comfort the shivering girl but she shrugged away and wrapped her arms around herself.

"No!  Don't come near me!  He'll only hurt you.  He's coming.  I can feel it," she sobbed hysterically.

And as if to prove her point there was a sudden draft of wind that entered the abandoned building.  Everybody looked around, aware of the eeriness of the situation.  They were expecting a spectral image of the ninja to pop out of nowhere.

But none appeared.

Just as none of them noticed the brief flash of light emitted by the Kata Kugutsu.  Nor did they pay attention to the stuffed kitsune standing at the doorway and eyeing Ganko with an evil grin.

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

**MUST READ BISHLOV NOTES (PLUS SOME CHEAT NOTES):**

[1] This is the ACTION PART…at least I tried it to be action-packed and not too hohum but I think I sucked with it.

[2] I keep on forgetting to mention something but not anymore.  I borrowed the idea of the SPIRIT BALL from the anime Yu Yu Hakusho (also known as Ghost Fighter).  I don't think I'm capable of making a cool psychic device as you would probably realize later on.

[3] A BRIEF SUMMARY on what happened to Kondo:  Tsukiho (the bad guy) was fast losing energy and needed a body to shelter in.  He chose to possess Kondo since, well, he didn't really have much choice.  Ganko and the others didn't realize this because Tsukiho promptly went to sleep inside Kondo in order to regain some strength.  He's not aware of anything that went on with the gang while he was sleeping.  On the other hand, he became aware of Kondo's fighting capabilities and would be able to use it.

[4] Starting in this chapter, I'm going to refer to TSUKIHO/KONDO as an 'it' instead of a 'he' so you and I won't confuse the bad guy from Kaoru while reading.  Plus you may find it hard to imagine someone as cute and fluffy as Kondo doing and saying bad things (because he's possessed) but please bear with me.

[5] Please take note that Kondo has TWO DEVICES now: the Kata Kugutsu/Puppet Converter and a made-up one, which is the Puppet Animator (I know the name still sucks but I can't do anything about it).  The PUPPET CONVERTER, as you already know, can make a doll or mannequin talk and move.  My PUPPET ANIMATOR can change that doll into a real biological being (in Kondo's case a live fox) as well as give the doll some additional powers.  In the previous chapters, Kondo can't talk in his 'live' form but it will change in this chapter.

[6] Here are the five FORMS of the KOUGAN ANKI.  There are actually six (the last one appeared in SODOM) but since I don't know what it looks like and had only read about what it could do I don't want to act like a know-it-all and use it in this fic.

            Form 1:  Fang.  The simplest form and looks like a large knife.

            Form 2:  Dragon or Ryu.  The chained sickle.

            Form 3:  Poles or Kyoku.  The big scissors.

            Form 4:  Crescent or Mikazuki.  The sharp boomerang.

            Form 5:  Darkness or An.  The true form of the Kougan Anki, which is actually a bow and arrow.

[7] THANKS to all of the lovely people who are faithfully reviewing this story.  You are my source of inspiration and my driving force in finishing as best and as fast as I can.

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**BABY YOU'RE MINE**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 10

After an hour of waiting, nothing seemed to have happened.  They waited for Tsukiho to come but he didn't.  Kondo should have sensed him if he was around but the kitsune was silent all throughout the wait.  Finally they conceded that Ganko's outburst was due to stress and exhaustion and not because of some sixth sense.

Kaoru never left her side despite of her protests.  After several attempts to push him away she finally allowed him to pull her in his arms and comfort her.  She didn't know what was up with her…why she was having hysterics.  All she knew was the fear coursing through her body, giving her a sense of foreboding that made the hair on her back stand.

Seeing that Kaoru had everything under control and that no threat seemed to be about, the others left them be and headed to their homes to retire for the night.  Only the two teens and Kondo were left in the abandoned building.  The kitsune stood guard at the window, watching the others break up and go their own ways.

"Are you okay," Kaoru asked as soon as her shivering stopped but still continued on rubbing some warmth on her arms.

"Yeah, I'm sorry.  I don't know what came over me."  She took several shaky deep breaths.

"Do you want to go home?"

"No, we should continue our training," Ganko said as she broke free from his arms and started to walk back to their training area.

He frowned at her back.  She was distancing herself again, not to mention pushing herself too hard.  "You're tired.  You should go home and rest."

"I can't!"  She stopped walking and faced him half in anger, half in frustration.  "Don't you understand that I can't rest while that…that _thing_ is out there?  Once I let my guard down he'd haunt me until I'm dead!"

"It may never come to that, my dear Ganko."

She stiffened at the sound of that voice.  It was one she would never forget as long as she was alive.  It was the sound of death…cold, creepy and mocking.  She looked around, searching for the source of the voice, instinctively turning her gaze to the fox with a sick grin.

"Boo," Tsukiho said through Kondo as soon as her eyes landed on the stuffed body.  Though the body belonged to Kondo, the ghost's soul had taken complete control…movement, voice and all.

"Tsu-Tsukiho," she whispered, petrified to the spot for a moment.

Kaoru automatically placed himself in front of Ganko, shielding her from the danger.  His senses hummed in preparation for the inevitable fight that was to come.  He hoped that Kondo was still somewhere inside that fluffy body and tried to appeal to it.  "Kondo, what are you doing?"

"Your pathetic little pet is gone now."  The fox's body moved forward while Kaoru backed Ganko away to the general area where he left his Kougan Anki.  "I've taken control of his body despite of my disgust.  You see, I dislike canines of any kind.  They're a bunch of filthy animals.  But in order to stay, should I say, _alive_ I needed a body and the Kata Kugutsu.  And since this fur ball has the puppet twin devices, I had no other choice but place my spirit here."

"You've already gotten what you wanted.  Why are you still bugging us?"  Kaoru's eyes darted briefly to his madougu a few feet to his left.  His mind was racing to work out a plan that would distract Tsukiho from him and Ganko while he retrieved the Anki.

"You?  I have no use for you.  What I want most is Ganko."

"What do you want from her?"  Kaoru's anger was instantly triggered.  "You can't have her.  I won't let you touch even a single strand of her hair."

And then the chaos began.  The fox's body glowed red, bloody mists swirling around the plushy.  Kaoru knew that the puppet animator was activated and that soon a live fox would emerge.  He took that chance to drag Ganko and shove her behind the stacks of wooden crates for cover.  By the time he got to his Anki, a large red dog was snarling a few feet away from him.

"What I want, I get.  No one, not even you, could stop me.  Come on, little boy, let's see what you got."

Kaoru was momentarily dumbstruck.  It seemed as though Tsukiho's spirit had magnified the kitsune's power and capabilities.  How much, he didn't know.  There was only one way to find out.  Using the first form of his Anki, he charged towards the fox with the intent of maiming it if not cutting it in half.  He thought it odd that Tsukiho did not move nor did it seem like it planned to move.  The fox just stood there waiting for him.  He was about to swing the Fang but was stopped by Ganko's shout.

"KAORU, DON'T!"

He twisted his wrist a bit so instead of hitting Tsukiho, his Kougan Anki lodged itself at the cemented ground beside the enemy.  He wrenched it out effortlessly then jumped a few feet back for precaution.  "Why'd you do that for?"

"You can't kill Kondo," Ganko cried back as she emerged from the crates.  She was still a bit shocked at the turn of events.  The one thing that shook her out of her trance was the image of Kondo getting killed.  Though Tsukiho took over the kitsune's body, she knew that the real Kondo was still somewhere inside that body.  She wouldn't be a good mistress and friend if she would let him die without a fight.

"But, baby, that's not Kondo anymore."

"He's still in there," she insisted.  "I'd feel it if he's totally gone.  Please, don't kill him Kaoru."

He looked dubiously from Ganko to Tsukiho then back to Ganko then sighed in resignation.  He never could deny her anything.  "All right, I'll try my best.  I'm going to tire him out while you do your job."

By that he meant she should try to find a way to open the box and activate the Spirit Ball.  It was dangerous to use it but they have no other choice.  The battle would end tonight and in order to win they need to contain the spirit of the demented man.  Ways on how he could fight the fox without killing it eluded him.  Just the thought of the man that possessed the body made his blood boil.

"Lucky bastard," Kaoru cursed under his breath.

The large fox's ear twitched, indicating that he heard the remark despite of the distance and lack of loudness.  He growled for a full second then lunged at the boy in full speed.  Kaoru just noticed a ball of red fur whiz by, the wind it caused stirred his hair.  He turned around just in time to hold off Tsukiho's attack with his Fang.  He pushed it forcefully off him by swinging the Anki like a baseball bat using the flat side instead of the blade.  It wasn't fast enough though for Tsukiho was able to scratch him with its sharp claws before it was hurled to the other side of the room.  Four gashes appeared on his face, his blood falling down freely like waterfalls.

And Tsukiho just sat there licking the blood off his paws.  "Perhaps I _am lucky…but you're not.  You can't kill me but I can sure as hell kill you.  I can slice you into thin little strips and make sure that you feel every single cut.  No one steals my Ganko."_

"She's not yours and she'll never be.  Nobody owns her," Kaoru wiped his cheek despite of the irritating sting.  A moment later his Anki was turned into Ryu, its second form.  He threw the sickle towards Tsukiho then maneuvered the chain so that it wound around the fox's startled body.  The sickle lodged itself deeply against the wall, taking Tsukiho with it.  Kaoru tightened the chain around the suspended fox, giving him barely enough space to breath.  He was planning on making it pass out.

The fox opened its mouth, presumably to take its last conscious breath.  But that wasn't the case.  Tsukiho took that one deep breath then its eyes lit in a triumphant glint.  It was already too late when Kaoru realized what the kitsune was up to.

His hold on the chain loosened.  His hands automatically went to his ear to block the ear-splitting howl that came from Tsukiho.  It was a bit useless though because he could still hear the awful sound and could feel the vibrations resonation in his skull.  Soon, the windows all over the building started cracking then breaking into a thousand pieces.

Through the pain, Kaoru heard Ganko's sudden cry.  He forced his eyes to open and saw her huddled among the crates, covered with cuts, some of which had broken pieces of glass embedded in her flesh.  With a growl of fury, he grabbed the chain tighter and yanked it hard, causing the blade and Tsukiho to fly in the air.  The suddenness of the action caused the enemy to stop howling.  Kaoru took that opportunity to change the Kougan Anki into its fourth form, the Mikazuki.

He threw the boomerang in Tsukiho's direction.  The kitsune managed to gain some balance in midair and twisted its body to dodge the Anki.  Kaoru caught the boomerang upon its return and sent it flying again.  But the enemy was fast, much faster than Kondo ever was.  All Kaoru could see was a red blur dashing from one area to another.  After a while, that red fur ball came zinging towards him.

He had expected him to attack.  At the last possible moment, he manipulated the Anki back to Kyoku, the third form.  Just as the fox was about to tear his throat open with its sharp claws, he managed to lodge the fox's head in between the scissor blades.  Kaoru tightened the Kyoku enough to cut through the skin but was loose enough to prevent decapitation.

"DAMN IT, KONDO!  WAKE UP!"  He shook the Anki a bit, causing the fox's body to swing between the blades, drawing more blood.

"Go ahead, boy, kill me."

"Don't think that I won't, Tsukiho.  You've caused enough damage.  I ought to finish you off now for what you did to Ganko."

"You don't have the guts.  Kill me and you'll kill the kitsune.  Do you think your conscience could stand the heartbreak that she'll suffer once her beloved Kondo's gone?"

God, he hated it when an enemy made sense.  He hated it when an underhand tactic was used.  And he hated the maniacal grin that went along with it.

_God, I hate him!_

Kaoru threw the fox away from him then returned the Anki to its first form.  He assumed a fighting stance and waited for the enemy to attack again.  The bright red fur of the animal in front of him turned a shade deeper as its blood seeped through.  In its eyes he could see that the real battle was about to begin.

"Enough of this foolish game, boy.  I came here to collect the devices and Ganko," the fox snarled, its fangs showing.  "I'm halfway through my mission and I won't let a brat like you ruin my plans."  Tsukiho broke into a run and targeted Kaoru's chest area.  The handle of the Fang blocked its attack but Tsukiho expected this.  It called on the power of the sister madougu.

The device clamped on its ear gleamed and a second later its fur started to stand up.  They stiffened and sharpened like long needles.  Some of these needles embedded in Kaoru's flesh.  Some were deep while others weren't.  Unfortunately, two of those that pierced his stomach area were lethal.  They were so deep, in fact, that one of those spines plunged through and through from his ventral side running diagonally to his backside.

With his remaining but rapidly dissipating strength, Kaoru pushed Tsukiho off him, along with its needle-like fur.  The Kougan Anki clanged loudly and echoed around the suddenly silent building.  He promptly dropped on all fours and watched fat drops of his blood raining from his body to the gray cement floor.  It wasn't long when he tasted something bitter rising from his throat.  He coughed it out, covering his mouth in the process, and was surprised to see blood on his palm.

That was the last thing he saw before his eyes clouded over and he felt himself falling into dark oblivion.

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11

**BISHLOV:**  It's rushed as usual so don't expect too much.  Thanks for the reviews.  Responses are in my email notification.  Oh, and I reverted to calling Tsukiho as 'he' rather than 'it'.  I know.  I confuse myself most of the time too. ^.^

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

BABY YOU'RE MINE 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 11

Ganko tried her best to lift the fog blocking her mind.  Ever since Kondo..._no!  Ever since Tsukiho had released the sonic howl, she hadn't been able to focus on the task at hand.  The howl took her by surprise primarily because she did not expect Tsukiho would be able to tap into Kondo's special abilities.  The next thing she knew she was huddling among the crates trying to cover her ears while at the same time protecting the back of her head from the glass shards flying her way._

Her blue eyes were glossed over by tears of pain as she tried her best to remove the sharp things from her flesh.  What really were just a few minutes seemed like an hour as piece by piece she removed the shards.  By the time she was finished, her teeth were gritting in pain.  Once her mind had more or less cleared, she began to notice the eerie silence in the air.  She lifted her head just in time to see Kaoru double over in pain then fell down to a dead faint.

"NO!"  She screamed and ran to him, ignoring the fox that was licking his fur clean.  "Kaoru!  Kaoru!"

She willed his eyes to open.  She wanted him to wake up and give her that cheeky grin.  She wanted to hear him call her his baby again.  She wanted him to do the things she found so irritating yet so endearing.  But it seemed impossible.  His blood was seeping through his clothes, staining even the floor.  His color was fast disappearing and so was his warmth.

He was dying right before her very eyes.

"Damn you, Koganei!  You said you weren't going to leave me.  You said you'd protect me forever.  You promised," Ganko cried out brokenly.  She buried her face against his neck and mumbled a few more curses along the way.

"There's no point in talking to the dead, my dear.  He's too far gone to hear you."  Tsukiho started walking towards them in a leisurely pace.  To his irritation, the girl ignored him and continued sobbing on the pathetic boy.  After several seconds, Tsukiho decided to leave her be.  He was not cruel.  He could let her savor her last few moments of freedom before he took her away.

He crossed the vast ground to where the mannequin parts lay.  He dug through the pile of limbs, heads and torsos, and dragged chosen body parts with his mouth.  When all were laid out, he deactivated the Kata Kugutsu and laid the madougu on a wooden hand.  There were no changes in his form except that he was smaller and weaker.

The broken dummy glowed and started to float a foot from the ground.  Within a minute, each part attached itself to other parts.  Head, arms and legs screwed themselves to the torso until the mannequin was complete.  Once the assembly was done, Tsukiho walked around the dummy checking for faults.  Satisfied, he tested the madougu.

"Rise."  Stiffly, the mannequin stood and the fox bared his fangs into a grin.  "Perfect."

The fox suddenly dropped to the ground, almost lifeless.  If anyone else was about, he would have seen a ghostly figure of a man rising like a mist from the fox's body, reaching for the naked mannequin.  A moment later, the mannequin was moving on its own.  Its arms were raised to face level, glass eyes watched as wooden fingers twitched one at a time.

Tsukiho bent over the fox and callously unclipped the other madougu from one furry ear.  There was a brief red flash then the light revealed a lifeless stuffed kitsune.  There was only one thing left for Tsukiho to do in order to resurrect himself.  He clipped the puppet animator to his own ear and relished the feeling of warmth spreading throughout his wooden body.

Once a wood was now flesh and blood.  He was human again.  The sister puppet madougu had resurrected him.  At last!  He was alive again!

He ran his hands over his arms and chest, tested his legs and stretched his body.  Everything was perfect.  He sauntered over to the crates and opened one of the two backpacks perched on top of them.  He knew it contained the boy's spare clothes.  They were a bit small for his frame but they will do.  The cold night air was affecting his new, naked body.

Once clothed, he reverted his attention to his last goal.  The girl…Ganko.  She would make a nice companion.  Young and beautiful.  It was just a matter of controlling her mind for her to do his every bidding.

It wasn't as easy as he thought though.  The girl was still ignoring him, so deep was her grief.  He would have to knock her out to take her away where her friends wouldn't be able to track her down.  But before he could take more than a few steps towards her, something unexpected happened.  Something that wasn't in his plans.

The girl hushed down a bit but that wasn't what caught his attention.  Ganko started glowing.  An ethereal light blanketed her body, giving off a calm atmosphere despite the stench of death permeating the air.  Tsukiho decided not to wait any further but as soon as he took a step forward, the light flashed brighter, blinding him momentarily.

~*~

The warmth had broken through her senses but it didn't come from the body underneath her.  Instead it was all around her, swirling about in hues of different colors.  She didn't have to open her eyes to see them.  She knew.  Just as she knew that the metal box of the Spirit Ball she had left behind among the crates had somehow transported itself in her hands.  The once cold surface was now warm in her hands.  She could feel the great energy striving to be released, almost showing her telepathically how to open the box.

There were consequences, she was silently being told.  The madougu had no guardian or keeper.  It had no contract to sign or pledge to keep.  But there was an understanding between the device and its new wielder.  It would help her save the life of her special one by using the energy of a soul.  But it would need another soul in replacement.  One that would have to sustain it for centuries to come once it was automatically sealed again.  And there was only one other soul available.

Hers.

No contest there.  An eye for an eye.  A life for a life.  A soul for a soul.  Nobody would lose except for Tsukiho.  Ganko would have her wish granted and Kaoru would have his life.

She stood up, her decision made.  She faced the stranger in front of her, only he wasn't a stranger.  He was her enemy.  The man who took the life of her beloved.  The man who will cease to exist once she was through.

The metal casing of the madougu unfolded and inside a sphere the size of a marble floated just above her palms.  It was crystal clear, the inside empty.  But then it was starting to gain color.  She was so enthralled of the swirling black mist appearing inside the Spirit Ball that she did not notice the man's scream.  Tsukiho's soul was being sucked by the madougu with no effort at all.  It was _that_ powerful.

Soon Ganko became aware of a dull thud.  It was over.  The mannequin lay lifeless on the cement floor and Tsukiho was now trapped inside the small sphere.  The black mist kept on swirling restlessly inside, trying to escape.  And then the color started lightening.  His soul was being cleansed and converted to energy that could be used to revive Kaoru.  As soon as the blackness was replaced by a golden hue, Ganko laid the ball in Kaoru's palm and covered it with hers.

The energy began to transfer to him.  His wounds started to heal and his warmth and color started to return.  With each second the golden aura was transferred to him, it was quickly replaced by a blue one as Ganko's spirit was being depleted by the madougu.  She was getting weak but she did not intend to let go that easily.

She tried to fight it at first but then realized that the more she held back, the longer it took for Kaoru to heal.  So she just let the Spirit Ball take over.  She leaned over his body, memorizing every inch of his face, trying to imagine his fanged grin one last time.

"Kaoru," she whispered just above his lips.  She couldn't say what she wanted to say.  Slowly she felt her energy drain.  She laid half atop the boy, clinging to him with her remaining strength.  Her last conscious breath was heard even if it was muffled against Kaoru's chest.  The last of her energy was sucked dry.  It could be seen clearly in her eyes as they lost their jeweled brightness and turned into dark, dull blue.

And in between their hands, the sapphire Spirit Ball was magically sealed in the metal box again.  In the space of thirty minutes, the battle had been fought.  In the end, nobody had won.

Tsukiho may have been defeated but the young couple had lost the most important thing they hold dear.

They lost each other.

And like every classical star-crossed lover's tale, theirs ended bitterly.  The boy woke up and took in the unnatural silence but rejected the possibility.  He was wrong though.  He examined his love's almost lifeless body, tried to shake her awake.  When she didn't he did the only thing he could do.

He let out a deep cry of pain, buried his face against her neck and cried dry tears.  He heaved her body across his lap and rocked her as if putting a babe to sleep.

That was how morning found them.

That was how their friends found them.

Too late.  It was all too late.

To be continued…

**BISHLOV:**  *evil grin*

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  MAY YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES HAVE A PEACEFUL, BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS 2003!!!**


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

BABY YOU'RE MINE 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 12

"Arigatou," Kaoru smiled his best smile as he received the bouquet of beautiful flowers from Domon's mother.  He'd been a regular customer at their flower shop.  He never failed to bring Ganko some flowers weekly even if the ones he brought previously were still fresh.  His daily visits often started with tending to those flowers, changing their water and rearranging them.

She loved flowers.  Pretty pink ones.  But Kaoru's favorites were the blue petaled.  They reminded him of her eyes.  Bright and sparkling blue.

But that was before _he_ came.  Now her eyes spoke of nothing.  Not of gaiety, irritation or sadness...not even pain.  Dull and expressionless.  Her sapphire-like eyes no longer had the light and life they used to have.  The obsessed and demented ghost had ruined their lives.  Even in his after-after-death, Tsukiho was still haunting them.  Their once rowdy group was reluctantly tamed by the unpleasant circumstances he brought on.

But none was quieter than Ganko.

Kaoru restrained himself from crushing the flowers as he thought about her for the millionth time this past month.  A month of anger, sorrow, disappointment and regret.  A month of loneliness for despite the Spirit Ball sparing Ganko's life, it took her soul leaving behind an empty shell.

_What are you saying, Koganei?  You should be thankful that she's still alive_, his optimistic side pointed out.  He was thankful but he was past gratitude by now.  He craved to be with the real Ganko, the ones whose eyes showed life and laughter.  They had her but without her soul she was just like one of her dolls, staring out in space with dull, emotionless eyes.

But he never gave up hoping that she'd be cured one day.  None of them did.  That fateful morning they were so overcome with grief and disbelief that they didn't notice that she was still alive.  The rhythm of her heart had slowed down and was barely noticeable, so was her shallow breathing.  Her body's metabolism had decreased tenfold as though its major source of energy had been dried of all power and was running on a back-up generator.

That was what was troubling the Hokage gang...that whatever was sustaining her existence would one day fail to do its job and completely take their little Ganko away.

The thought made Kaoru more desperate.  He leapt over a fence and found himself standing in Recca and Kurei's backyard.  He walked in the house through the backdoor.  He'd been doing so ever since he moved in to look after Ganko.

"Tadaima!" he yelled but no one answered.  The kitchen was in a state of chaos.  There were ancient scrolls and tablets littering the kitchen table and floor while atop the counter were ingredients that were not quite dinner yet.  He spotted a note on the refrigerator door and went to investigate.

_Kaoru-kun,_

_Sorry I can't be there to greet you home.  Just went out to buy some more food for dinner.  Recca and the others went back to the cave to check out a lead.  Ganko's taking a nap.  Be back in twenty minutes._

_Yanagi ^_^_

Everybody was pulling their weight.  Yanagi-neechan made sure there was a steady supply of food for the constantly hungry group.  The others, including the Uruha, searched for the Spirit Ball's twin device.  There was always a twin device!  Perhaps it would be the cure they were looking for.  Whereas he was assigned to find a way to open and control the Spirit Ball.

But his more important duty was to keep Ganko company.

He crumpled the piece of paper then proceeded towards the second floor.  He went directly to Ganko's room and knocked on the door.  There really was no need to do that but it made him feel better, hoping one of these days she'd call back to let him in.  The door softly creaked when he pushed it open.  He glanced automatically at the bed and saw that she was awake, laying immobile and staring unblinkingly at the ceiling.

"Hey, baby.  Sorry I'm late," he smiled at her.  A smile that briefly dimmed when he received no response yet again.  "So you're mad at me eh?  Look.  I've brought you a piece offering…tulips.  They would look good beside the roses, don't you think?"

He looked back at the girl who, as expected, was not paying attention to him or anything else for that matter.  He gave a patient sigh and dropped the flowers on the table by the said roses.

"Come on, princess, you look like you need some sun."  He removed the blanket off her then carried her to the balcony and sat her down on the high-backed, cushioned chair facing the backyard.  He arranged her body to what looked like a comfortable position and even brushed her golden hair with his fingers.  "There.  That's better.  Stay here while I put the flowers in a vase."

He looked back at her, still half expecting her to respond.  He missed everything…everything he took for granted: her voice, her laughs, her yells, even her slaps and kicks.  He'd do anything to have those back.  After doing his chores he grabbed Kondo the stuffed toy.  Kurei-niichan had the twin puppet devices hidden for safe keeping, waiting for its true wielder to wake up from her trance state.

Kaoru placed the toy in Ganko's arm and for a moment there he thought her fingers curled a bit on one paw.  Then again it could just be the shifting afternoon sun preparing to set.  He was used to seeing her like this.  The orange light giving color to her pale face, her hair dancing to the tune of the gentle wind, her eyes looking at the garden beyond.  Looking but not quite seeing.

To a casual observer, they would have made a tranquil picture.  But Kaoru was anything but tranquil.  He did not know how long he could hang on.  Did not know how long he could stay strong…or sane.

He dug deep in his pocket and retrieved the small metal box that encased the soul-sucking madougu.  He had tried everything to open it.  He had observed every angle, every inch, and every microscopic part of it at least a thousand times but there was neither latch nor lid.  He had used every tool imaginable: a two by four, a blow torch, a chain saw, the Anki.  None of them even made a scratch or dent.  In desperation he had used words, pleaded with it to give Ganko's soul back and take his instead.  But all it accomplished was make him look stupid.  He even stooped low and used childish magic words from 'abracadabra' to 'open sesame' to 'please' and 'pretty please' to 'open up, you little piece of shit!"

Sadly, his efforts were wasted.

"How did you do it, Ganko?  How did you open it?"  His only answer was the whispering wind.

There were other things bothering him, like what happened to Tsukiho.  If his soul was sucked in the ball as was hers, did that mean Ganko would be trapped in there with him forever?  That would be punishment worse than death and hell combined.

Then there was the fact that he woke up with his fatal wounds healed.  It wasn't Yanagi who healed him so who did?  Had Ganko sacrificed her soul to heal him?  He hoped not!  As if he wasn't feeling guilty enough because he failed to protect her yet again.  He dreaded opening the damn thing probably as much as he wanted to.

He didn't know what he would do if he found out that the madougu did not hold her soul.

"Well isn't this nice," Kurei's voice floated from the sliding doors.  "I come home from work, spending the entire day slaving behind a mountain of paperwork only to find my house in shambles and the only two people in it are scowling at each other."

_Scowling?_ he thought.  Maybe he was considering his unpleasant line of thoughts but where would Kurei get the idea that Ganko was scowling too?  Kaoru glanced at the girl and noticed that her head had changed its position and her stare was directed at him.  _Eh?  Who moved her?  Nah, it couldn't be.  Must be the wind or maybe even gravity.  Either that or my imagination's going haywire._

He was about to refute the flame caster's claim when he saw his knowing smirk.  He must be joking but then when has Kurei ever joked about anything?  _Get a grip, will you, Koganei!_

"I thought you guys went back to the cave," Kaoru changed the subject.

"I passed.  After all, someone's got to bring in some money.  Hell will freeze over before anyone accuses me of being a free loader."

Kaoru ignored the comment.  It wasn't as if the guy needed to work.  His office was just a front since he already had his billions.  No.  If Kurei went to his office it was probably to pull some strings and tie loose ends.

"What did the tests show?"

"Nothing enlightening.  Frankly, the doctors are all baffled at her condition.  Some even say she's some kind of medical freak."

"They did?!"  Kaoru cried out in indignation.  He calmed down considerably when he saw Kurei inspect his newly manicured nails.  "They're still alive, aren't they?"

"But of course!  I'm not the animal that I was years ago."

"So what did you do to them?"

"I fired them," Kurei shrugged.

"You fired them?!  Man, you're getting soft."

"Am I really?"

Kaoru realized from the guy's dry tone that he'd crossed the line.  One look at his steaming hand he knew that he was in big trouble.  "Ehehehe.  Joking.  It's a compliment actually.  Really!"

Kurei snorted and made himself comfortable in one of the other seats.  "Perhaps I am getting soft.  Just don't tell anyone.  I'd hate to see Ganko wake up to realize that her boyfriend's nothing but a pile of ash.  How is she?"

He just shrugged back.  There really wasn't any change except that things were looking down based on their progress, which was no progress at all.  His face must have shown his emotions.  What the flame caster said next surprised him.

"Uruha and Hokage had gone through a lot.  We used to try to kill each other but now…all right, I admit it, we still try to kill each other but not for the old reasons.  But you know what?  Our families have one thing in common.  We don't easily give up.  We're fighters.

You and Ganko had the privilege of being part of both Uruha and Hokage at one time or another.  That makes you doubly strong.  You'll pull through this…and so will she."

It took a moment for Kaoru to digest this It was a nice thing to say.  But what surprised him most was that it made sense.  He and Ganko were meant to be together.  Fate's weird sense of humor had thrown them together.  This was just another one of Fate's jokes.  Kaoru was sure that the punch line wasn't delivered yet.

He looked up to thank Kurei but he should have known that the flame caster would pull that disappearing act again.  The guy was still not used to doing good things.  Kaoru moved to kneel in front of Ganko and took her hands in his.

"Did you notice it?  Even Kurei-niichan wants you to come back.  Fuuko and Yanagi are already planning a party for you.  Domon and Tokiya are in charge of the decorations, believe it or not, and Recca prepared his best fireworks.  You'll love it."

He was staring back into her eyes, trying to catch any reaction.  There was none but somehow it didn't bother him as it usually did.

"Don't worry, baby, we'll wait.  We'll wait until you find your way back to us."

To be continued…

**MUST READ BISHLOV NOTES:**

[1] This took me three weeks to write.  This is probably one of the two hardest fics I've ever written (the other's a CCS).  If ever you think I take too long to UPDATE this, it's because I want you to read a good chapter with nice TWISTS.  I owe you guys that much.

[2] Hehe.  So you thought she died eh?  Before you flame my arse to a crisp here are some EXCERPTS FROM THE LAST CHAPTER that hinted she did not die:

_...Slowly she felt her energy drain. She laid half atop the boy, clinging to him with her remaining strength. Her last **conscious** breath was heard even if it was muffled against Kaoru's chest. The last of her energy was sucked dry..._  --- Her soul and energy was drained but there's still something that kept her alive.  And what's the opposite of 'conscious'...that's right, unconscious!  Ganko just fainted due to her dwindling energy supply.

...The boy woke up and took in the unnatural silence but rejected the possibility. He was wrong though. He examined his love's **almost** lifeless body, tried to shake her awake... --- Self-explanatory.  Bet you didn't notice that 'almost'.

_Too late. It was all too late._  --- This doesn't mean, "It's too late.  She's dead."  What it meant was, "Too late, the soul-sucker device has her soul."

[3] No don't kill me just yet.  I got one or two chapters more up my sleeve.  I loved all of the reviews that I got for last chapter.  I was successful in making you look one way while I'm going the opposite.  LOVE YOU ALL!!!


	13. Chapter 13

**WARNING:**  This new twist might be a bit (or a lot) farfetched.  Don't flame me for it.

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

BABY YOU'RE MINE 

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 13

_Is this heaven?_

Somehow it wasn't what she had imagined.  True that the place was beautiful and somewhat peaceful but there was something in the atmosphere that couldn't be described as heavenly.  She couldn't determine what it was but she could feel it in the air, giving her chills every now and then.

_Heaven?___

Shouldn't one be dead in order to gain entry to heaven?  Did this mean she was dead?

_No!_  She shook her head in order to get rid of the fog that had been clouding her mind for a long time now.  _I can't be dead.  This can't heaven._

She shakily stood and retreated from the shade of the tree she had been leaning on.  She looked around, trying to make sense of her surroundings.  There were hectares upon hectares of dewy green grass as far as the eyes could see.  This place…it was familiar.  She'd been here before but when?  And there was something different…

_The people!  Who are they?  What are they doing here?  What am _I_ doing here?_

Several men, women and children were scattered across the meadow, minding their own businesses, looking lost in their own worlds.  One woman was sitting at a patch of wild flowers, peeling the petals one at a time; a boy was sitting high atop a tree, barely aware of the petals flying his way; and there was that man to her near right, sprawled on the grass, staring at the cloudy sky.  There were more people about but none spoke to each other, none even looked at each other.

_Surely they are not…angels?_

They didn't look like one and they most certainly didn't act like one.  They all had one thing in common though.  All of those people were dressed in weird clothes—peasant clothes…ninja clothes.

And then she remembered…and understood.

This really wasn't heaven.  It was more like purgatory.  She was trapped in the worst purgatory of all…She was inside a madougu!  Her soul and these other people's souls were condemned to this forsaken dimension for eternity.

All of her memories started coming back: the puppet devices, Kondo, Uruha, Hokage, Tsukiho, the Spirit Ball, and Kaoru.

Kaoru?  He was hurt…dying.  Did he survive?  Of course.  He was alive.  That was the reason why she was in here.  His life for her soul.  She was given that choice and she made the right one.  She would never regret her decision.  Kaoru was her life.  If he died, she wouldn't want to live too.

No.  No regrets.  Well maybe there were two…she wasn't able to bid a proper farewell and she wasn't able to say she loved him.  If only she could see him just one more time, that would be enough.  But it seemed such an impossible wish.

She looked around again, this time forcing herself to move farther from her obviously designated zone.  She passed one person after the other, always failing to make eye contact.  Then she came upon a little girl, so like her when she was young.  She felt a sudden stinging at the back of her eyes as the first emotion since she broke out from the trance shook her.

"Hey there," she kneeled beside the girl, "that's some doll you got there.  I used to have one just like that.  What's your name?"

"Don't waste your time.  She'll never answer you back."

She jumped in surprise then instinctively posed in such a way it would be easy for her to attack and defend.  Three meters away from her, a teenage boy with glorious red hair stood with mischief clearly written in his eyes.  There was something familiar about that boy too.  There was a happy air about him that made her want to trust him.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"A friend," he grinned.  "Aw, come on.  There's no need to be defensive.  I won't hurt you."

She didn't know what made her lower her fists.  It could be his voice, his words, his smile, his eyes, or even the familiarity in the atmosphere but she dropped it anyway despite good sense.  She observed him closely but try as she might, she couldn't recall ever meeting this boy.  One thing that struck her odd was the hint of life in him, unlike these other people who acted like zombies.

"Are you the guardian of this place?"

"Heck, no," he laughed and she found it annoyingly familiar yet again.  "There is no guardian.  The Spirit Ball does not need one.  You knew that, Ganko-chan."

It was no surprise that he knew her name too.  She was half-expecting it.  Frankly, she didn't care how he knew.  She was more interested in knowing more about this place where she was to spend eternity and this boy seemed to know a lot about it.

"Why are they like that and why aren't we like them?"  She gestured at the people, slightly shivering at the eeriness of it all.

"They have been in here for far too long despite the fact that time does not exist in this world.  Actually, it's probably worse this way since all they can do is recalling their memories until their souls exhaust away.  I've seen some go but most of these people are still hoping that their souls will be released."

She felt sorry for them, felt sorry for herself.  But this is what she had wanted.  _No regrets._

"We are the more recent arrivals.  But sooner or later we'd probably end up like them," he continued.

She didn't catch the implications of his words primarily because she wasn't listening anymore.  These people, they've been in here for centuries and none of them found an escape.  Why would anyone create such a horrible madougu like this?

"Come.  We'd better make use of whatever time we have left."

"What do you mean?"

"Come.  I'll show you."  He walked up to her then grabbed her hand.  He dragged her around, weaving in between people and changing sceneries.  Once they were beside some clear pond, he wasted no time to play in it.  His laugh was contagious and she suddenly decided to let loose for a while and have some fun.

Their squeals and laughter pierced through the silence as they splashed around in an effort to get each other wet.  It was fun and it felt like old times though she couldn't imagine why.  This boy was a stranger but if he was, how come he knew her name?

"Ganko."

She glanced back at him to see why he called her but noticed that the boy wasn't paying any attention to her anymore.  He was stomping in the water, amused by the waves that he caused.

"Ganko."

There it was again.  This time she was sure that the boy didn't call her for his mouth didn't move.  But if it wasn't him then who?

"Baby…" 

Kaoru?  It had got to be him!  But what was he doing here?  More importantly, where was he?

"Wake up, princess…" 

She brushed a wet curl from her face and looked around.  There was no one else in the area but his voice was still echoing in her head, calling out to her.  She stumbled out of the water and tried to locate the voice.  The sound led her to the other part of the meadow.

And there he was, standing…waiting for her.

She was struck with the familiarity of the scene again but this time she knew why.  The dream.  It was exactly like her dream.

How could she forget that dream?  It was the one when she thought she was kissing Kaoru but ended up being mauled by Tsukiho.  But there was no Tsukiho anymore.  Only Kaoru…standing several feet away from her.  He raised his arms, beckoning her just like in her dream.

And just like before she ran to him and held on to him, fearing that he'd disappear again.

"My Ganko."

For a moment she felt safe but then realized that the warmth was disappearing.  She looked up and saw that his face was wavering as well as his body.  "No!  Don't leave me!"

"I miss you, baby.  Come home."

Her hands clenched on his shirt but were only able to grab air.  Soon, Kaoru's image totally disappeared.  Her knees finally gave and she couldn't help but sob in desperation.

"You're going back to him," the red-haired boy stated in an accepting tone.

"I want to.  I want to but I can't."

"Sure you can."

"What?"  Her tears stopped at that.  "What did you say?"

"The boy helped her up and grinned at her stupidity.  At that moment, she realized whom he reminded her of.

"Kondo?"  She couldn't quite keep the shock and incredulity in.  His grin grew wider and wider until she thought his face would crack.  That was how he grinned, corners stretched all the way up.  He was really the kitsune but he was not a kitsune anymore.

"But how?"  She was getting more confused by the second.

"What?  You didn't think that Tsukiho was the only ghost who could possess a doll, did you?"  Her face blanched at that.  Kondo thought it was best to explain quickly before Ganko passed out.  "Okay, so I was your basic wandering soul, drifting aimlessly to find a purpose for my non-existent life and then I found one.  I liked your group so I decided to stick around.  As it happens you were trying out the Kata Kugutsu on the fox plushy and the rest is history."

"But why didn't you tell us?"

"I guess I thought there wasn't any point.  Kondo's life began with the Hokage and my past wasn't that important.  Look, as I was saying, you go back to them and I'll stay here for you.  The condition was the madougu needed one soul in replacement for Tsukiho's, right?  And I figured since I'm dead already, I'm going to be it."

Everything was going too fast for her and she couldn't think while her emotions were warring.  "Why are you doing this?"

"I told you already," the boy brushed the tears from her face.  "My life began with you and this is my way of thanking you for giving me another shot at life.  Besides," the seriousness disappeared and was replaced by mischief again, "that monkey you call a boyfriend sounded pathetic.  It's irritating."

"Oh, Kondo, I can't leave you in this awful place."

"But you should.  You know, at first I thought that maybe we could both stay here and have some fun like we used to.  But I realize now that you don't belong here.  Tell you what, once you get outside maybe you could find a way to destroy this madougu.  That way, there wouldn't be an 'awful place'."

"But you'd be destroyed too."

"I'd rather have that than turn into one of these guys.  Please, Ganko, go back.  I'm already dead."

"No you're not.  You'll always be alive here in my heart."

The boy snorted in laughter.  "Man, that's the corniest thing I ever heard!  Bwahahahaha!!!"

She never was one who could take insults so she whacked Kondo so hard he had a hard time separating himself from the ground.  "Baaa-ka," she muttered.

Once the chaos stopped, the boy insisted again.  "So you're going?"

She nodded a bit reluctantly.  What he said made sense.  "But how do I get out of here?"

"Just click your heels, Dorothy, and say 'there's no place like home' over and over again.  What?  Can't you take a joke?  Oh-oh!  Maybe I could throw you off a cliff so that when you wake up you'd find yourself back in bed.  Just like in TV!  HEY!!!"

She managed to whack him good again.  In truth, she didn't mind his antics.  In fact, she was going to miss them…going to miss him.  As soon as he stood up she hugged him tightly and could have killed him in the process had he not been dead already.

"Thank you, Kondo."

"I guess we're even then, huh?"

"I'll be back for you.  I'll find a way to get you out of here."

She stepped back when she felt that warmth again.  The swirling colors surrounded her as the madougu began to communicate with her again.  She expressed her wish to go back.  It had Kondo's soul.  It didn't need hers anymore.

A sudden tremor shook the place, creating a huge gap in space.  Through that gap she saw Kaoru trying to feed her mortal body to keep her alive.  The scene touched her heart.  All doubts that plagued her before about whether or not he loved her disappeared.  How could anyone do such things for her, not knowing if she would come back or not, and not love her?  It might be a bit presumptuous of her but she recognized his deeds as acts of love.

She took a step closer to the gap then remembered Kondo.  She looked back, greatly reluctant to leave him behind.

But the boy wouldn't have any of it.  He gave her a last hug then a light push.  "Go on.  Tell Koganei I think he's lucky.  Tell him he should take care of you or else I'd haunt him in his dreams."

She shook her head and smiled through her tears.  "Iie.  I'm the lucky one because I have the greatest friend in the whole world."

"Then I guess I'm lucky too.  Promise you won't forget me."

"I won't.  You're stuck in here, remember?"  She tapped her chest indicating his place in her heart.  "And I'll keep my other promise.  I'm going to set you free one way or another."

"Good.  Now go before I change my mind.  And give that stupid gorilla a good kick in the butt for me too."

Before she could react, Kondo gave her one hard push.  He hated long goodbyes.  Might as well get it over with.  As soon as she went in the gap, the place shook again and a second later the gap was gone.  He stared at the area where Ganko disappeared for a moment longer then turned back to the pond to wait for his eternity to end.

To be continued…

**BISHLOV:**  Hehe.  Remember, no flames.  Constructive criticisms are allowed but none would be done about it because I only have about one or two chapters more to go.  Hey, guess what?  Just a couple more days and this fic will celebrate its first year anniversary.  I know it's nothing to celebrate about since it took me this long but, hey, the end is near.

Let me hear from you guys…Hit that button down there…


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**BABY YOU'RE MINE**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 14

_September 29._

_Of all the stupid things…_

He forgot his own birthday!

He had been too busy rushing back and forth from Ganko to school then back to Ganko that he lost track of what day or even what month it was.

It was no big deal to him.  It was just another ordinary day.  The problem was other people thought otherwise, specifically the girls in school.  Anybody new would think Kaoru's birthday was a darn field day.  Those girls tend to overdo things.  There were usually a lot of streamers, confetti, pompoms and a truckload of gifts.

Usually he would have made himself as scarce as possible since he thought the whole fuss was too much.  But this morning, the exuberant greeting did not make him want to hide out.  He wanted to join the festivities not because it was all meant for him but because he missed this life.

Life had been so uncomplicated before Ganko came back in it.  All he ever was then was an ordinary teenager.  More popular and gifted than most but still ordinary.  He was carefree back then and reasonably happy.

But now all he felt was pain.  And loneliness.

He loved Ganko.  There was no doubt about that.  He would love her forever but there was only so much he could take.  Four months had already passed since her soul was locked away inside the blasted madougu.  And he had been with her every possible moment—taking care of her and keeping her company.  But no matter how long he talked or how hard he stared, she never acknowledged him back.

He was so desperate and lonely.  That was why he didn't try to escape the mob of well-wishers.  Just for one day, he wanted to experience the normalcy of teenage life again.  Just for one day, he wanted to have an ordinary conversation with someone who could answer back.  Just for one day, he wanted to forget that the most important person of his life was nothing more than a shell of what she really was.

And so for the first time in four months he stayed behind after school instead of rushing back home to Ganko.  Some of the girls wanted to treat him out for some snacks.  A sort of impromptu party.  Thirty minutes turned to an hour.  An hour turned to two.  Two turned to three and Kaoru had not realized how late it was until the diner turned on its fluorescent lights.

Instantly he was overcome by guilt.  He was chatting and laughing as though he had no problems or worries whatsoever when in fact he had lots of them.  He had no right to ignore these problems.  He had no right to ignore Ganko.  It was his fault why she was that way in the first place because he did not protect her.  He had no right leaving her alone like this.

For a brief moment he had an image of Ganko sitting on her bed in her dark room, waiting for him to come home.

He hissed his breath at the image then wordlessly rushed out of the diner, much to the surprise and disappointment of his companions.  He weaved through the throng of people, cursing each delay that kept him from coming home.

_You're such a selfish bastard, Koganei._  He should have at least called first.  Various questions kept on popping in his mind.

_Who's with Ganko right now?_

_Had she woken up yet?_

_Had someone fed her yet?  Given her medicine?_

He used his usual shortcut to Kurei and Recca's house.  He jumped over the fence and was surprised that the house was in complete darkness.  Something was definitely wrong.  He could feel it in his gut.  He rushed to the back door and switched on the lights.

"Tadaima," he shouted as he tried to sense anything amiss in the atmosphere.  "Recca-niichan?  Yanagi-neechan?  Oi!  Minna-san?!"

There was no answer but Kaoru noticed a note posted on the refrigerator door.

_Kaoru,_

_Something came up.  It could be important.  You know what to do.  Ja!_

He cursed himself some more.  He really should have called first.  Ganko was left all alone the whole afternoon!  It was his duty to keep her company after school and his selfishness made him neglect this duty.

_Damn it!  You've never done anything right where Ganko is concerned._

He had every intention to fully berate himself but decided it could wait.  He had to see to Ganko's needs first.  He bounded up the stairs two steps at a time then all but knocked down Ganko's door.

"Baby, I'm sorry.  I—"  He switched on the light and was surprised when he found the room empty.  "Ganko?  Ganko?  Where are you?"

The bed was empty and so was the balcony.  He checked the adjoining bathroom, to the walk-in closet, even under the bed and still he could not find her.

_Where could she be?  She couldn't just walk away from here…could she?  
  
_

Kaoru dug in his pocket and found the Spirit Ball madougu.  It was still locked in its casing.  It couldn't have opened without his knowing.  He quickly stood from the floor and accidentally slammed into the bedside table.  A piece of paper fell from the surface and Kaoru snatched it from midair.  The note was short and typewritten.

_If you want to see her again, go to the cliff overlooking the town.  Hurry or else…_

He felt the blood drain from his face.

_No way!  It can't be!_

_Ganko's been kidnapped…_

_How could this be?_

_Who…?_

_No.  There's no time for questions.  I've got to save her!_

He ran as fast as he could and made a detour to the apartment he shared with Tokiya to get the Kougan Anki.  Whoever abducted Ganko had better not harm even a single hair on her head or else he would have to suffer Kaoru's wrath.

He caught a bus that would take him to the outskirts of the town.  He did not notice the weird looks that were given to him and his Anki.  He was too busy chiding himself for not being there for Ganko.

It was happening all over again.

Ganko had needed him and he failed to protect her.  Time and time again, he failed her.  He should have learned his lesson but he didn't.  And Ganko was always the one who had suffered the consequences.

He couldn't save her from Tsukiho and her soul was taken from her body.  Now he indulged in selfishness and he didn't like thinking what the consequences might be.

If only he went home at his usual time he might have prevented this from happening.

_Please, don't let me be too late._

He jumped off the bus and hiked the trail as fast as he could.  Thankfully the moon provided enough light to prevent him from colliding with the trees.  It wasn't long before he broke through the densely covered woods.  The edge of the cliff was in sight and sitting near it in her wheelchair was Ganko.

Angered by this, he clutched his Anki tighter and prepared for battle.  "Show yourself!"

There was a whoosh behind him and he looked back while swinging his blade.  He neither saw nor hit anything but was drawn to the loud explosion overhead.  The dark sky was suddenly lit by multi-colored dots.  And one after the other, various fireworks flew into the air and exploded in glowing patterns.

"SURPRISE!"

From out of nowhere, his friends started popping out.  All of them were there—the Hokage and even the Uruha (though they and Tokiya were hanging out far from the rowdy Hokage).  Fuuko started a rather irritating key of "Happy Birthday" and the others followed suit.

Kaoru didn't know whether he should be happy or mad.  But from what he'd gone through for the past half hour he decided that he should be furious.  He let out a frustrated yell and swung the Anki at the nearest person.  There was a loud, clanging sound as Kaoru's adamatium blade met Tokiya's ice blade.

The former vented all of his frustration, guilt and fear in the fight.  There were yells around them; some asked them to stop while most were for encouragement.  Kaoru ignored them as he fought in desperation.  He had built up a lot of energy on his way here and he needed to get rid of it.

"Stupid people!  Do you have any idea what you've put me through?  I nearly went out of my mind."

Kaoru continued his assault until his adrenalin level had gone down.  He jumped a few feet away from Tokiya and tried to catch his breath.  The others burst into a loud applause and went forward to greet him.  They patted his head and slapped his back, not at all afraid that he still held the Anki in an offensive grip.

"Stupid people," he muttered again then buried the blade of the Anki in the ground.  The others were already setting up the place for some night picnic so Kaoru went to see if Ganko was really all right.

Now that he was closer he could see that Ganko's position was nowhere near the edge of the cliff.  He had been thoroughly duped and he deserved it.  He crouched down in front of her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry they've put you up to this, baby.  It was a mean thing to do, using you like that.  They are a bunch of jerks.  But then again," he sighed, "so am I.  I'm sorry I left you alone with them for so long.  It won't happen again.  I promise."

"Why _were_ you late?" Tokiya suddenly spoke behind him.  "And what was that fight about?"

"Surely you know what it was all about," Kaoru sneered.  "You had no right to do this."

"It was not my idea.  I just went along for the ride.  But then it wasn't just about being tricked, was it?  There's more.  What happened?"

"I, uh, lost track of time," Kaoru's sort of lied.  There was a bit of truth in it anyways.

"I saw you in town with your friends earlier," Tokiya urged on.  He had a pretty good idea on what was going on in the boy's mind.

"They were not my friends.  They were more like…distractions."

"Well it seems like they did a very good job distracting you."

"You don't have to rub it in.  I've already kicked myself in the butt a hundred times on the way here.  I'm a selfish jerk.  Ganko doesn't deserve a jerk like me.  And I don't deserve her either."

"Hn.  You're right and I can't blame you.  Taking care of invalids can be so burdensome.  It's quite unfair that you're saddled with such a big responsibility."

"That's not what I meant and you know it!  She's not an invalid and she's not a burden.  I chose to be with her and I don't regret that decision even for one minute."  Kaoru jumped on his feet, his fists clenched at his sides to stop himself from wiping out that smirk from Tokiya's face.

"You're sick, do you know that," Kaoru said as soon as he realized that he was treated to an overdose of reverse psychology.  Honestly.  The guy could only find amusement in baiting other people, especially Kaoru.  "You're just as sick as the rest of them."

"Hn.  Don't spread it around or I may have to kill you.  It would be a shame if Ganko would wake up to find her boyfriend's nothing but a pile of shredded flesh."

_Now where had I heard that before_, Kaoru mused as he watched Tokiya inconspicuously join the festivities.  He shook his head at the bungling idiots then reverted his attention back to Ganko.

"You're not a burden.  I swear you're not and anyone who says so will have to answer to me."  He sat back down and played with her fingers.  She already had her eyes closed which meant that her body was making her rest.  But despite of that, he kept on talking.  "Even from the way I acted today, I never thought you were a burden.  Baby, do you forgive me?"

"No matter," he continued after a while.  "I'm going to make it up to you.  I may not deserve an angel like you but I'm not going to let you go.  If it's any consolation, I—"

He hesitated for a moment then glanced around to see if anyone was listening in to the one-sided conversation.  When he saw that no one was in the vicinity, he held her hands tighter and took a deep breath.  "I never told you this, Ganko…didn't really want to until you're really here but I guess I can't keep it to myself any longer…

I love you Ganko."

The wind picked up a bit and Kaoru brushed the loose tendril from her face again.  His fingers lightly traced her cheek then her chin before returning to her limp hands.  "I don't deserve you but maybe once you've seen how much I love you, you might want to keep me."

Used to not getting any answers, he touched his forehead on her knees and reflected for a while.  The moment was a bit calming despite the ruckus being made by Recca and the others a few feet away.  Being with Ganko always made him feel relaxed despite their current situation.

_If only…_

Kaoru did not get a chance to finish that thought.  He felt uncomfortable all of a sudden.  It was like his pants were on fire!

He yelped loudly as he jumped up to see what was wrong.  At first he thought it was yet another one of Recca's practical jokes but then realized it was not.  He took out the thing in his pocket that was exuding a scalding hot temperature.  He threw it to the ground and stared in disbelief.

After so many months, Kaoru did not dare believe that this was happening. But it was.  By now, even the others have stopped monkey-ing around and were surrounding the madougu with Kaoru.

The metal casing was glowing, much brighter than any of Recca's fireworks did.  The light was coming from the edges, outlining the box in every side.  The crimson light became brighter and brighter in a steady pulse then flashed so suddenly that the amazed spectators were momentarily blinded.

The area was engulfed in darkness again, amplified by the stunned silence of the group.  They all stared dumbstruck at the madougu, wondering what the heck happened.  One by one, they started glancing from the madougu to Ganko then back to the madougu.

Kaoru took a cautious step towards Ganko; still not daring to believe yet wanted to do so.  He crouched in front of her again, cupped her face in his hand and rubbed her cheek with his thumb.  "Ganko…Ganko…baby, wake up."

The blond girl opened her eyes and stared back at Kaoru.  His heart made a freefall to his stomach when he saw the familiar blank look.

_Nothing.  All of that for nothing?_ came his desperate thoughts that were easily replaced by indignation.  _Damn that madougu!  How dare it play games with us!  Why won't it give you back to us?  Why?_

"Look!"

Kaoru was startled by Yanagi's shout.  He looked at what she was pointing and was startled anew when he saw a small pink glow suspended in the air directly above him.  He held his breath as he watched the glowing orb descend slowly, stopping in the space between him and Ganko.

There was something about that sphere that made him smile.  Somehow it was radiating a familiar cheeriness that was quite infectious.  He touched it with a cautious finger and smiled some more at the warmth that started to spread in his body.

"Baby, come home," he whispered.

And on cue, the orb started to disintegrate into pixie dust.  The wind picked up and blew the pink dust to Ganko.  For the first time in months, her body made an action other than the closing and opening of eyelids.  The dust forced her to take a deep breath. All of the spectators, Uruha included, held their breaths with her.

The air came out of her parted lips slowly.  Just as slowly, her lids blinked several times.  The blankness of her eyes disappeared with each movement.  And still the others held their breaths.

Most of them had forgotten how brilliant those blue eyes could be.  But not Kaoru.  Day after day, he imagined seeing them like these again.  In his memory her eyes were always these brilliant if not more.  But still he held his breath even as he started to believe.

And then his wish had finally come true.

"Minna," she whispered.

"GANKO!!!"

Kaoru was pushed aside by the stampede of idiots.  But he didn't mind.  It didn't matter that he was not the first one to welcome her back.

She was home and that was all that mattered.

To be continued…

**BISHLOV:**  Er, this chapter got longer than I expected so the ending might be pushed back.  There might be two to five more chapters to go.  I'm not really sure.  It depends on what I'm gonna do with Kondo.  The thing that I'm sure about is this fic won't reach its second year anniversary.  I promise you that.  LOL.  I hope you enjoyed this chapter or at least did not think that it dragged too much.  Kissy thanks, minna-san, and try to leave a review if you've got time.  Ja ne!


	15. Chapter 15

**BISHLOV:**  WB sucks.  This chapter sucks.  I suck!  But you don't.  You guys are the greatest.  Thanks for being so cool and patient.  Huggles!

**WARNING:**  Lethal mushiness up ahead.  Get your barf bag ready.

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**BABY YOU'RE MINE**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 15

"Come on, baby.  You're tired.  Let's rest for a while," Kaoru tried to persuade the exhausted Ganko (for the umpteenth time) and miserably failed (for the umpteenth time).

"Just a few blocks more," she panted.

"But that's what you said the last time," he complained as he reached out to steady her yet again.  Ganko had been like this ever since she woke up and gained some energy to demand what she wanted.  And what she wanted was to get her strength and mobility back.

Every afternoon, after his class, Kaoru would help with her outdoor exercises to stretch the muscles that were left unused during her 'comatose' state.  They would walk around the town, gradually increasing their pace and distance.

Ganko was impatient with her slow recovery and often pushed herself too hard.  Just like now.  She stumbled again and this time he did not release his hold on her waist.  He half-carried her to the nearest bench facing the almost-vacant playground.  Once seated, his arm went from around her waist to her shoulder.  She wordlessly rested her head on his chest, indicating how tired she was.

They sat there in silence and watched young parents collect their reluctant children.  Beyond the park was a fiery, red ball sinking to the ground, giving forth to the moon. Occasionally, Kaoru rubbed the muscles on Ganko's nape and played with the blond locks of her hair.

Soon, the light of the sun waned only to be replaced by an artificial one emitted by the surrounding lamp posts.  Few people walked past them—families walking home, students arguing about their projects and the latest rumors, couples going out on dates.  Still they sat there in a comfortable hush, relishing each other's company and the feeling of momentary peace in the air.

"Are you okay now, Ganko?"  Kaoru softly asked after a while.

"Uh-huh," she murmured back.

"You got to take it easy.  Too much, too soon is not good for you."

"You don't understand," she sighed as she pushed away from him.  She angled her body to face him.  "When I was inside the madougu, there were other people…other souls.  If you could have only seen them, it's so heartbreaking.  All of those people lost their will to live.  I promised myself that when I get out I will live for them."

This was the first time Ganko talked about what happened to her inside the Spirit Ball ever since she got out three weeks ago.  None of the Hokage wanted to press her for information though they were dying out of curiosity.  They decided that the blond girl would talk once she was good and ready and Kaoru guessed that this was the time.

She described that other world as she saw it—quiet, peaceful and utterly depressing.  Kaoru was glad that Ganko had been able to escape for he didn't want to imagine her like one of those lost souls…like the way she was before—existing but with no will at all.  Seeing her like that was more than enough for this lifetime and he couldn't bear to witness it again.

Then she got to the part about the red-haired boy.

"What boy?!!" he yelled.

"Mou…you weren't listening well.  Pay attention, Kaoru."  She sighed in exasperation.  "I met Kondo there; only, he didn't look like Kondo at all.  He was in his original form—a boy."

It was pretty hard to digest.  Of all the things Ganko told him, this won the prize.  Who would have thought that Kondo was really not a product of the Kata Kugutsu but a wandering soul?  It made sense.  No wonder Reiran was never as lively as him.

Ganko went on with her story.  She didn't leave anything behind—not even her hallucination of him. But Kaoru was not convinced that it was just an illusion.  Some of the reality must have entered the madougu.  His desperation must have reached her.

"So you see why I have to get well soon?  I want to help find a way to open the madougu.  I owe Kondo my freedom and, in return, I have to free him."

"But, baby, you don't have to worry about that.  Kagerou-sama and the others can handle that—_are handling that.  All you have to focus on is to get well completely _and_ safely.  Kondo wouldn't like it at all if you endanger your health."_

Ganko looked like she was about to argue with him but decided not to waste her breath.  She knew that look in his eyes.  It was a determined glint that said he was right and it would do her no good to contradict him.  Besides, what he said made some sense.  It wouldn't help Kondo one bit if she died out of exhaustion.

She leaned back on the bench again and Kaoru automatically pulled her in his arms.  The stars had been out for quite some time now and they stared at the jeweled sky, lost as they were in their own thoughts.  Ganko tried to recall what had happened after she stepped into that dimensional rip inside the madougu.  She didn't remember much.  Almost everything was a blur.  But there was something that was so vivid as she approached the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel:

Kaoru's voice…

_"I never told you this, Ganko…Didn't really want to until you're really here but I guess I can't keep it to myself any longer…I love you, Ganko."_

Had she imagined it just as she imagined Kaoru inside the Spirit Ball?

There was actually just one way to find out if he really said those words and that was to ask him point-blank.  After all, had she not promised to live her life to the fullest?  So why not start now and get it over with?  To hell with risks and hurts!  At least it would prove how alive she really was.

She was not like the Ganko before.  All that happened to her made her realize the important things in life—and the important people.  She _could_ wait for him to say the 'L' word again but for someone who had several near-death experiences, the word 'wait' could leave an unappealing taste in the mouth.  She knew what she wanted and the only logical step was to get it.__

Gathering up all of her courage, she moved away from Kaoru's embrace and tried to read his face.  She already suspected that he loved her but she needed to hear the actual words face to face.

"What?  Do I have something on my face?" he asked when he noticed her unwavering stare.

"No.  There's just something I want to ask," she paused as she tried to find the right words.  Funny how despite her determination she could still feel a trickle of timidity.  "That night—the night I came back…everything was so fuzzy.  All I could remember was being so tired.  I almost did not make it out but something pushed me to go on."

Ganko lifted her eyes to lock with his.  "It was you.  I heard you and I knew I had to try harder not for me or for Kondo but for you.  And now I wonder...did I really hear you?  Did you really tell me that…that you…"

"That I loved you?  Yeah, I did say that."

There it was—the truth—hanging in the very air between them.  Kaoru did not look like his cheeky self.  Instead he was seriously looking back at her, trying to gauge her reaction.

She smiled.  A slow gentle tug at the corners of her mouth.  The edge of her blue eyes crinkled in delight and moisture fell along the creases.  "I'm so glad," she whispered before she threw her arms around him.

"I love you, Ganko.  It's hard being in love with you but I wouldn't have it any other way," he murmured against her silky hair.

"Hard?"  Ganko pushed away from him again and gave him an incredulous glare.  "Hard!  Let me tell you what's hard!  Hard is getting harassed by your _adoring_ fans day in and out.  Hard is tolerating your bossiness and cheeky grins.  Just being with you is downright difficult!"

"But you love me all the same," Kaoru gently said.

She knew it was more of a question than a statement.  It squeezed her heart how he was still so unsure of her feelings for him.  The idiot just couldn't see what was right in front of him.

"Yeah, I do.  You've been so good to me and I kept on wondering how you could love me when I've been nothing but a nuisance to you."

"Kami knows I've wondered about it many times too but always came to same conclusion…I love you because I simply do."

They stared at each other for a long time and allowed everything sink in.  The entire scenario was perfect—bright moon, starry sky, love words...All that was needed was a magical kiss.

But Kaoru was still thinking about something else.  Despite the assurance of Ganko's love, he was still plagued by the guilt of not protecting her better.  "There's something else, baby.  It's been bothering me for quite some time.  I've let you down more times than I could count and I…I wanted to say I don't deserve you because I couldn't protect you but I can't, you know.  I can't let you go.  I want you too much."

"Forget it, love," she placed a finger on his lips to silence him.  "I realize now that we can't live in the past.  There's no point in bringing up all the hurts and anger and regrets.  I know it's clichéd but what's important is now and tomorrow."

"Yeah," he sighed then grinned after a while.  "And the day after that…and the day after that…and the—"  He gathered Ganko back in his arms and held her chin in place as he slowly lowered his lips to hers.

Two pairs of eyelids fluttered close as the couple savored their first kiss after such a long, long time.  Their lips softly brushed against each other and a breathless second later they broke apart.

"I love you," she whispered just before he kissed her more firmly.

Ganko was not aware of anything else except Kaoru's seeking lips and her heavily beating heart.  The warmth of his kisses spread throughout her body but most of her blood were concentrated in her face.

He kissed her nose then her blushing cheeks.  He went back to her lips then brushed his lips across her eyelids.  She opened her eyes and it gave him great satisfaction to see that she was having a difficult time focusing.

"Come on, baby, let's get you home."  He jumped up and held a hand out to her.  He kept their hands linked as they walked away, looking very much like lovers going out for a romantic stroll.  Their subsequent conversation was light and teasing despite the previous love confessions and sweet cuddling.

"Kondo, eh?  So what does the kitsune's human form look like?"

"Oh, you know…red hair, green eyes, dimpled smile…definitely bishounen material."

"Really?" Kaoru's eyebrow arched.  "Who do you say is better looking?  Me or him?"

Ganko pretended to ponder deeply and after a minute Kaoru whined, "Ganko!"

She decided she baited him long enough and laughed at his pouty scowl.  "You will always be my one and only bishounen," she declared then tugged on his hand to give him a reassuring kiss on the cheek.

To be concluded…


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER:**  I do not own FoR or any of its characters.  This plot is a product of my imagination.  Any similarities to other fan fictions are unintentional.

**BABY YOU'RE MINE**

By bishounen lovah

Chapter 16

~Three months later~

It was a slow day for the older members of the Hokage gang.  Too much time, too few excitements.  But things were bound to get interesting.  Even through the thick walls and closed doors and windows they could hear the shouting.  It wasn't long when the kitchen door slammed shut, causing the walls to quiver from the force.

The gang were comfortably scattered around the living room and they waited anxiously for their entertainment to begin.  Ganko stormed inside the room then stopped to make a 180° turn.

"I still can't believe you punched him," she yelled at Kaoru.  "That's so like you.  I tried to put up with it but your possessiveness is starting to get on my nerves."

"He was hitting on you!  You don't honestly believe I'd let that baka get away with it!?"

"This is the last time I'm going to say this and it better get through your hard head—"

"Thick skull."

"Whatever!"  Ganko snapped at Kurei for interrupting her tirade.  The flame caster only raised an eyebrow at the insult he'd been given.  It was more interesting to watch the lovers' tiff than fry the noisy couple to a crisp.  He would let them live for one more day.

"As I was saying…HE WAS NOT HITTING ON ME!!!"

"He was holding your hand."

"Question," Fuuko raised her hand.  "For the benefit of the viewers, who are we talking about?"

"It was that idiot Iijima Ryu," Kaoru supplied the answer.

"He is not an idiot," Ganko countered.  She looked around and rolled her eyes at their attentive audience.  _These people should really get some lives.  "He's my science lab partner.  We were studying the circulatory system and he was measuring my pulse rate thus the "hand holding".  The real idiot here," she pointed at Kaoru, "decided to get territorial—_again_—and beat the bloody pulp out of the poor guy."_

"Poor guy," Yanagi agreed.  "What were you doing in Ganko-chan's class anyway, Kaoru-kun?"

And, as though watching a tennis match, their gazes bounced back to the Anki wielder.

"I was just passing by," he shrugged.

"Ahh…" came the collective response.  Ganko just rolled her eyes again.

"Anyway, there I was passing by the lab and the door was open so I looked inside.  I was curious, you know.  And that was when I saw that jerk taking advantage of my baby."

"For the love of—!  Dang it, Kaoru!  He was just checking my pulse."

"I've done that exercise before and you only have to count for a minute," Kaoru still insisted.  "He held your hand for ten seconds more.  I know.  I timed it."

"You timed—"  Recca burst into laughter and turned to Yanagi.  "Was I ever that pathetic?"

"You, my little brother, were always pathetic."  Before Recca could react, Kurei leaned forward in his seat and gestured for the two teens to settle down.  "Enough of this nonsense.  Now that everyone is present, let's get down to business."

Ganko immediately sobered up.  She knew what this was all about, had expected it for quite a while now.  This was the meeting she both anticipated and dreaded.

They were going to decide Kondo's fate.

Her knees weakened and it was a good thing there was a love seat nearby.  She gingerly sat in it and was not at all surprised when Kaoru joined her.  Their quarrel was instantly forgotten and she moved closer to his body for physical and emotional support.

"Have you finally found something then," she asked in a firm voice.

"No," Kurei answered abruptly.  "There will be no miracles."

"Jeez, 'niichan!  Blurt it all out, will you.  You could have used a little tact."

"Urusei!  I do not sugarcoat any facts nor do I indulge in unnecessary emotions."

There was an awkward moment that followed.  All eyes were trained on the blond girl, waiting for her reaction.

"Ganko," Kaoru whispered beside her as he squeezed her hand.  The contact was more for his benefit than hers.

"I'm fine," she said after a while.  She took a deep breath then raised her chin and looked at her companions.  "Kurei-niichan is right.  A large part of me already knew that it was hopeless.  But there was still a glimmer of hope that we'd find a madougu that would open the Spirit Ball and set Kondo's soul free."

Ganko stood on shaky legs and went to the window to stare blindly outside.  Expectant eyes were on her again.  "Are you positive that there's none?"

This time it was Tokiya who spoke up.  "We've already exhausted every resource.  There's nothing else we can do, Ganko-chan."

"Then we have to destroy the Spirit Ball as soon as possible."  She faced them again when she said this.  There was a determined glint evident in her sapphire eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"It has already been months.  I will not let him suffer in that place any longer.  I will keep my promise to him."

The adults looked at each other.  They knew it was a difficult decision to make and they were a bit relieved that it wasn't their decision to make.  Kondo—though annoying to the max—had been an integral part of their family.

And now they were going to kill him…his soul.

"How do we get about it?"  Kaoru raised the question nobody was willing to ask.  "I've used the Kougan Anki and a bunch of other stuff trying to open the darn device but not one had even put a scratch on it."

"The madougu are made by Hokage.  If anyone could destroy a psychic device, it would be the leader of the Hokage…the flame caster of Hokage."

Recca and Kurei had already looked at each other even before Kagerou had spoken.  It was an issue that was never settled.  Since there was no longer a Hokage clan to lead there was no point in fighting for the title of okashira.

There was a silent communication that passed between the brothers.  Recca nodded once and Kurei imitated the action.

"We will destroy the madougu tonight at the cliff," Kurei announced as he stood indicating the end of the meeting.  The rest of the gang stood too.  Fuuko and Yanagi hugged Ganko and whispered words like "you did your best" and "it has to be done".

In the end, it was only Kaoru's warmth that comforted her.

~*~

They stood in a wide half circle with the two flame casters at the opposite ends.  Ganko's hand tightened on the Spirit Ball's casing.  She relished the bite of the edges on her skin.  It was a pain that couldn't quite replace the ache in her chest but a welcome distraction nonetheless.

"Ganko?"

She nodded to acknowledge Kaoru.  They were all waiting for her, just as Kondo was waiting for her to release his soul too.  She closed her eyes and instantly conjured the image of the red head boy sitting by the pond in a trance state.

And then she felt confident that she made the right decision.  Kondo had too much life in him.  He deserved death rather than that kind of existence.  She placed the box at the center, on the ground then backed away to stand beside Kaoru.  He placed his arm around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Last chance, Ganko-chan.  Are you sure about this?"  Recca asked.

"I'm sure."

"All right then…"

He called upon his seven dragons just as Kurei called upon his Kurenai.  Red flames met blue ones at the center, increasing in power in an attempt to destroy the madougu.  At first it seemed like it was not working but then the casing started to melt, revealing the small orb suspended about three inches above the ground.

She remembered the ball quite clearly and was surprised when there was a rainbow of colors swirling inside instead of its crystal clearness.  Each soul had its own color.  And one of those dancing inside the orb was Kondo's.

All of a sudden the Spirit Ball cracked.  Several lines appeared on the surface and a second later the madougu burst into a thousand small pieces.  The flames receded and the bright glow was replaced by numerous columns of colorful lights soaring to the sky.  They came from one origin but they rose at different angles.

One by one the columns disappeared until only one light remained.  It waned into a red sphere that hovered over the charred remains of the Spirit Ball.

_Can it be?  Can that be Kondo's soul?_

Even as Ganko wondered, the red ball of light started to drift towards her.  She held out her hands and cupped the familiar warm glow.

"You're free now," she whispered.  "I kept my promise.  "Your soul is free now."

The light instantly brightened.  It shot itself to the night sky to join the rest among the stars.

"Good bye, Kondo."

~*~

"I feel so helpless!"

Kaoru was pacing around, wearing the gleam of the newly scrubbed kitchen floor.  Tokiya sighed as he conceded that he wouldn't be able to read his morning paper unless he attended to the boy's rants.

"What are you talking about now?" the Ensui master asked.

"Ganko!  I don't know what to do about her.  She keeps on pretending that she's okay when it's obvious that she's so sad."

_Young people!  Don't they know anything?_

"Leave her alone."

"What!?"

Tokiya sighed.  "She needs to grieve so leave her alone.  It's natural for her to mourn.  Just stick close but leave her alone."

"What kind of advice is that?"  Kaoru yelled but Tokiya's nose was already buried in the paper.  "Stupid grown-ups," he muttered as he made his way to the door.

"Don't forget about the picnic later.  Fuuko wants you to try her peanut butter and roast beef sandwich."  Tokiya's voice drifted out just before the door slammed shut.

It was actually the truth that Kaoru understood Tokiya's advice.  In fact, it was what he had been doing for the past week since the Spirit Ball madougu was destroyed.  It wasn't because it was the wise thing to do.  He left her alone because he didn't know what else to do.

And it frustrated him that he could do nothing to ease Ganko's pain.

He kept on being frustrated hours later, the picnic well underway.  The others were playing Frisbees while he and Ganko were sprawled on the picnic blanket staring at the fluffy clouds.

"Kaoru."

"Hmm?"

"Is something bothering you?  You're too quiet."

"No.  Nothing's the matter."  He could feel her eyes on him so he tried to act as unaffected as possible.  

"Tokiya-nii talked to me earlier," she waited a beat then spoke again.  "I'm sorry I made you worry.  I just miss Kondo, that's all.  I'm a bit okay now."

Kaoru glanced at her and saw her smile.  There was no pretense there.  She really was starting to get over the loss.  He linked his hand with hers and kissed it.  "I'm glad.  I don't like feeling so helpless maybe as much as I hate seeing you so sad."

Ganko shook her head in protest.  "You've already done enough for me.  You believed in me and stayed with me and loved me.  Those are more than enough."  She moved to kiss his cheek.  A second before her lips touched their destination, he gave that cheeky grin she loved so much and moved his head.

Their lips clung for a short, soft kiss.  It was over even before anyone else noticed.  They stared for a long while but the moment was broken when Ganko summoned her best fake smile.

"You rat!  I'll get you for that," she yelled as she tried to pin him to the ground.  They rolled back and forth on the blanket, trying to tickle each other.

"What was that," Kaoru asked several minutes later.

"What was what?"  Ganko asked back breathlessly.

"I thought I heard a noise.  There it goes again.  I think it's coming from the bushes.  Stay here, baby, while I go check."

He crawled to the bushes and parted the leaves with both hands.  He yelped when something red and furry jumped out.  Kaoru lost his balance and landed on his buttocks.  He tried to grab whatever it was but it moved so fast.  One second it was on his lap and the next it was bolting past him.

"No!  Ganko, look out!"  He shouted the warning even as the fur ball knocked his girlfriend down too.  Kaoru's panic subsided when he heard Ganko's merry laughter.

"A puppy!  Look, Kaoru.  Isn't he so cute?"

It was a rhetorical question but he agreed nonetheless.  He recognized the chubby dog's breed as a collie but his coat was more reddish than the usual auburn.  The pup had quit trying to lick Ganko's face and had plopped down beside her with drool cascading from his lolling tongue.  The tail wagged furiously, tapping the ground more often than not.

The rest of the gang joined them to check out the commotion.  The women passed the dog around and cooed while the men rolled their eyes and mumbled, disgruntled.  Eventually the dog came back to Ganko's lap.

"Can we keep him?"  Ganko all but pleaded, looking very much like the chibi Ganko they first knew.

"He might have an owner," Fuuko answered.

"But he doesn't have a collar."

"Could be because he's still young.  Tell you what, we'll ask around and post some notices.  If no one claims him then you can keep him."

"Yay!  You hear that, Kaoru?  We're going to have a dog."  There was no doubt in the blond girl's heart that this pup had no owner and that he was destined to be with them.  Just as she was certain that the dog would bear Kondo's name.

"Kondo?"  Kaoru asked when they were alone again.  "Why would you name him Kondo?"

"Because."

"You're not thinking that Kondo's soul…Nah!  It couldn't be."

"I believe." she whispered with certainty.

Kaoru observed her for a while and saw the inner peace that he noticed earlier in her eyes.  She wasn't mourning or reliving her guilt.  She really did believe.

"Then Kondo it is."

They watched Kondo jump at each throw of the Frisbee.  Soon he got weary of the exercise and stumbled towards the tree shade.  It wasn't long before Domon woke from his nap and roared in anger.

Kondo was peeing on Domon's leg and the pup had a look of pure ecstasy.  The gorilla-man chased the dog but the dog was too fast, too smart for the gorilla.

Kaoru chuckled and started to believe it himself.  "That's Kondo all right.  Are you happy now, love?"

"So much that I'm afraid I'd burst."

"Me too, baby.  Me too."  Kaoru tightened his arm around Ganko and leaned back on the tree to watch the Hokage run amok.

Life was certainly back to normal.

Crazy but normal.  And he wouldn't have it any other way.

~OWARI~

**BISHLOV NOTES:**

[1] Finally, it's FINISHED!  Still sucks a bit but I really did my best considering that I have the worst WB ever.

[2] I'm sorry if you're upset with what I did with KONDO.  I didn't want this story to be too predictable and bring his soul back in the plushie.  It was time his soul moved on.  And at least the story still has a happy ending.  ^.^

[3] A COLLIE is a breed of dogs that has a long snout and tail; long, thick fur that's the color of white and auburn.  Think Lassie.

[4] My ETERNAL GRATITUDE to the readers and especially the reviewers of this fic.  Without you I wouldn't have found the will to finish this piece of *achoo*.  I hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as I.  *Sniff sniff* Sayonara, minna-san, and don't forget to leave your own parting words.


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